Fragmented Destiny
by Tsuki Kakumei
Summary: Who says destiny is absolute? A ripple across the fabric of time can have the most profound effect on the future.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon. That privilege goes to Naoko Takeuchi.**

A/N: This is my first time writing a fanfic and I would greatly enjoy any criticism that's given! Happy Reading! **  
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It was warm, almost unbearably so. Usagi quickly threw the blanket off of her body, but she still felt too warm, like she was a cookie baking in an oven. Sometimes, when her mama is making cookies, she would let Usagi sit on the floor in front of the oven window and watch as they flattened and turn a golden brown. That's how she felt right now except she didn't taste and smell as good as a cookie did.

Little beads of sweat were slowly making their way down her forehead. There was a strange smell coming from outside of her door. Usagi took a quick sniff of the air and she smelt… smoke? But that can't be right. Why would there be smoke right outside her bedroom door?

'_Silly me_.' Thought Usagi. She turned onto her side and tried to go back to sleep when suddenly her mama burst through the door.

"Usagi! Usagi! You have to wake up now!" A frantic Ikuko screamed as she shook her daughter awake.

Usagi opened her bleary eyes and saw her panic-stricken mama hovering over her. As soon as Ikuko saw that her daughter was in a form of semi-wakefulness, she quickly wrapped Usagi in the blanket she'd thrown off of earlier and scooped her into her arms.

"Mama? What's going on? I'm too warm." Usagi tried to wriggle out of the blanket, but Ikuko had an iron hold on her.

"Usagi, you have to keep the blanket on. It will keep you safe." Ikuko explained in a rush as she re-wrapped her daughter. Satisfied that the blanket now covered Usagi from head to toe, save for a small opening for Usagi's eyes, Ikuko hurried towards the door and down the stairs. Once they were downstairs, a thick layer of heat and smoke surrounded them. Usagi took a quick peek from under her blanket and all she saw was red, orange and black. Now she understood why she smelt smoke earlier, her house was on fire!

Before she could ask where her papa and Shingo were, Ikuko was trying to make her way towards the door through the smoke and flames. It was getting harder to breathe and each second they spent trapped in the house was making their survival less likely. Usagi clutched her mama's blouse with a tight fist as fear seized her little heart as she took in her surroundings. She could see the fire spreading at a rapid rate. Everything the fire touched went up in flames in a matter of minutes.

Finally Ikuko was able to find her way to the front door. She quickly pulled it open and ran a safe distance towards the street where a small crowd was already forming. The cool afternoon breeze brushing against their faces was a welcome relief from the blazing inferno. Ikuko gently set Usagi down as they both watched their home being consumed by the angry flames. She tore her gaze away from her home and took a quick look at their surroundings. She could recognize the familiar faces of the neighbors, but she couldn't find the faces that would set her mind at ease. Her husband and son were still missing.

All too soon the feeling of relief vanished and was replaced by horror when Ikuko realized Kenji and Shingo must still be trapped inside. She wanted desperately to go back inside and get the rest of her family to safety, but she couldn't leave Usagi all by herself. Ikuko was just about to accept her decision to wait for the rest of her family to emerge when she heard the high pitched crying of her baby boy coming from inside the inferno. She promptly made up her mind and knelt down towards Usagi who was still watching the flames.

Ikuko gently took hold of her daughter's chin and turned her head towards hers.

"Usagi, you have to listen to me. Mama has to leave you for a bit so make sure that you stay exactly where you are, alright?" Ikuko said softly.

"Mama? Where are you going? Where's papa and Shingo?" Usagi's bright blue eyes were staring into Ikuko's with such confusion and fear that it made her heart break for what she's about to do.

"Mama needs to find papa and Shingo, Usagi. But don't worry, sweetie, we'll come back in no time, okay? Never forget that we love you that I love you so much." Ikuko choked out. Her throat was tight from repressed sobs and her vision was blurry from unshed tears.

"I love you too, mama." Usagi replied in a small voice. She didn't understand what was going on. Why was her mama crying and why did she get this feeling in the very back of her mind that this was goodbye?

Ikuko gave Usagi a sad smile and cupped her daughter's face with both of her hands. Her eyes closed as she leant forward to give her baby girl a kiss on her forehead and her tears were finally released. When Ikuko pulled back she took one last look at Usagi, turned and sprinted towards the burning house.

Usagi watched as her mama's long skirts and blue hair billowed out behind her as she ran. When Usagi saw her mama's figure being swallowed up by the wall of red, she started shivering as if she had the chills. Even with the blanket covering her and the heat coming from the house, Usagi still felt cold. She watched the flames lick at the sky and was mesmerized by its enchanting dance. The longer she stared, the more distant things were beginning to seem. Soon enough darkness took over her vision and she collapsed onto the hard ground. The last things she heard were a baby crying, a woman screaming and sirens.

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It was cold, dark and absolutely quiet. A thick layer of mist and fog surrounded everything. In the distance a figure standing in front of an elegant giant door could be made out through the dense fog. Once the fog parted, it revealed a tall woman wearing a black sailor fuku. At her side she was holding a large staff in the shape of a key with her eyes closed. Aside from the rise and fall of her chest, she could have been mistaken for a statue.

When she suddenly opened her eyes, they revealed garnet orbs and the slightest bit of worry. She could feel a very strong sense of dread that time has been fractured and there was no way to repair it without repercussions.

"Sailor Pluto." Announced a deep voice, "have you felt it?"

"Yes. A piece of time has been broken. This was never meant to happen." The woman now known as Sailor Pluto answered.

"Your mission has changed. The others are neither old enough nor powerful enough to protect her. You are the only one who is capable to become her guardian. Do you accept?"

"I accept." With those simple words, Pluto turned around and opened the Space-Time Door. As she stepped through the threshold the doors slowly closed behind her. She never once looked back.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Sailor Moon does not belong to me.**

A/N: Thank you everyone for the lovely reviews! It makes me absolutely giddy to know that so many people are interested in my story. Updates will be sporadic at best since I occasionally run into writer's block. This story is unbetaed and any mistakes made are mine. I hope you all enjoy this next installment!

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_Beep… Beep… Beep…_

The quietness of the hospital room was broken by a small beeping sound that kept repeating itself in steady tones. The room was sparsely furnished with a chair in the corner angled towards the bed and a small table against the wall. Lying on the bed was a small girl, no older than three years old with two blonde pigtails sticking out of the twin odangoes on the top of head. Attached to her left hand were an IV line and the heart monitor.

A small moan emitted from Usagi and her eyes fluttered open. In an instant her eyes hurt from the flood of light, but soon enough they adjusted to the brightness. She slowly sat up in the bed and a faint look of recognition came across her face as she gazed around the room. It looked exactly like the one her mama stayed in when Usagi and her papa came to visit her after Shingo was born.

_She was walking down an empty corridor while holding a small bouquet of red roses for her mama when she heard muffled crying coming from inside a room. Usagi hesitantly stepped into the room and saw an ebony haired boy sitting on the bed with his head down. She could see that he was trying his hardest to hold back his sobs, but his tears were rolling down his cheeks and spattering his thighs. Usagi didn't know what made him so sad, she always believed that a simple smile could chase away even the darkest of days and she was determined to cheer this boy up even just a little. Her steps were slow and quiet and soon she was close enough to rest her head on his hand. _

_The boy stopped crying and looked at her with surprise and confusion. "Who are you?" he asked._

_Without lifting her head, Usagi raised her eyes and answered, "Don't cry."_

_The boy turned his face away from her and lowered his head once more. "Soon, a dear friend is going away, but I can't do anything for him." He closed his eyes trying to stop the oncoming tears._

"_Starting today, I'm going to be a big sister. My mama had a baby and I brought this as a gift." Usagi raised her head and showed him the flowers she was holding. She took a single red rose from the bouquet and offered it to him._

"_Here. Congratulations." She offered with a tiny smile._

_He looked at her with surprise for a brief moment before it melted into happiness. With a quiet, "Thank you." He reached over and accepted the gift. _

"_My mama always told me to spread my cheer in whatever way I can. I hope this helps." Usagi gave him one last brilliant smile before she turned and left the room._

Thinking about that memory reminded Usagi of her family. She didn't see her parents anywhere so maybe they were waiting outside of her room? Suddenly she remembered the smoke, flames and her mama's last words.

_Where's mama? She said she'd come back._ A nurse walked into her room and spotted Usagi awake and sitting up bed.

"You're awake! We were so worried when you were still sleeping after a couple of days. I'll go get the doctor." The nurse swept out of the room, leaving Usagi alone once more. A few minutes later a middle aged doctor walked in and started examining her chart at the foot of her bed. He had a head full of brown hair which was beginning to be peppered by bits of gray and a bushy moustache that was following in the same step as the hair on the top of his head.

"Hello, Usagi. I'm Dr. Yoshido. Do you know where you are?" He gave her a kind smile which crinkled the skin around the corners of his eyes.

Still wondering about her family, Usagi slowly nodded her head.

"That's good. Now do you remember what happened and why you were brought here?"

Once more Usagi nodded her head without saying anything. Once her curiosity got the better of her, she finally asked, "Where's my mama and papa and Shingo?"

The smile Dr. Yoshido wore before fell from his face. He didn't enjoy being the bearer of bad news, especially to one who was so young, but it couldn't be helped. He walked over to the side of the bed and gingerly sat down at the edge.

"Usagi, I'm sorry to tell you this, but you're family didn't make it out of your house. You're the only one who was rescued and brought to the hospital." As he delivered the devastating news, he gently laid his hand on Usagi's tiny shoulder and continued, "Someone will be coming by soon to take you to your new home. I'm so sorry."

Dr. Yoshido gave her shoulder a small squeeze and got up to leave the room. As he was leaving, the feelings of sadness and regret went through him. His heart reached out to the little girl who was now an orphan. He didn't want to believe that such things could happen to those who were still so young, but sometimes life can be too cruel.

Usagi didn't know what to think. One moment she was taking a quiet nap in her bedroom and the next she was waking up and being told she had no family left!

_They're gone? But mama said she'd be right back. She'd be back. _Usagi thought brokenly. She sagged back against the pillow as if she didn't have enough strength to hold her body upright anymore. Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes and when they spilled over she didn't make a move to wipe them away. She never made a single sound as she cried for her lost family.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Sailor Moon does not belong to me.**

A/N: So far this was the hardest chapter I've had to write. I ran into writer's block halfway through and I guess I'm satisfied with how it came out. Tell me what you think dear readers and enjoy!

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A few hours passed by since Dr. Yoshido gave Usagi the unpleasant news about her family. During that time Usagi was drifting in and out of sleep trying to recapture the happier times before that fateful day. She didn't cry as much as before when she first heard the news, however, the occasional tear did slip out every now and again.

At the moment Usagi was awake and stared at nothing in particular. She still couldn't believe that she was the only one left. With the same thoughts repeating in her mind like a broken record, Usagi was about to drift off to sleep again when she was snapped out of it by a tall woman walking into her room. The woman wore a professional business suit with her hair tied up in an elegant bun. There was a tag clipped on the front pocket of her suit jacket which read her name and underneath that it said 'Child Services'.

"Hello, you must be Tsukino Usagi. I'm Sato Tamaki." She introduced herself as she pulled up a chair to Usagi's bedside and sat down on it. "I'll be taking you to the orphanage. Do you know what that is?"

Usagi tried her best to wipe her face clean of tears while shaking her head in the negative. Tamaki gave her a sympathetic smile and gently explained, "The orphanage is a place where lonely children go to find a new family that can give you all the love in the world."

"I don't want a new family. I want mine back." Usagi's lower lip trembled and tears were once again making their way down her cheeks. Tamaki swiftly pulled out a tissue from inside her suit jacket and reached towards Usagi's face. With slow tender strokes she wiped away the tear tracks.

"I know you must be scared about what's happening, I would be too if I was you, but these families aren't so bad. All they want to do is love you. Will you let them?" Tamaki was trying her hardest to make this process as painless as possible. When she read the report of how of this little girl was orphaned in one afternoon, her heart ached for her. Apparently the fire started in the kitchen where a dish cloth lay too close next to the heated stove. It caught on fire and soon the flames engulfed the entire kitchen which spread to the rest of the house. Witnesses say that they saw two figures emerging from the burning building, a mother and child, but the mother left her child alone and went back in.

'_Why would the mother leave her child by herself? To rescue someone else? Maybe to save some priceless valuables?_' Tamaki was broken out of her thoughts by Usagi tugging on the sleeve of her jacket.

Usagi thought for a long moment about what Tamaki said. She did want to be loved and to love in return. Although she didn't like the idea of living with strangers (her mama always did say to never talk to them), Usagi wanted to make her parents proud of her by being brave and strong and that meant no more crying for what was lost. She leaned over and tugged on Tamaki's sleeve to get her attention, "My mama always told me that I was like a bright sunshine filled with love for anything. I… I want to share my sunshine all the time with other people. Even if it's a new family."

Tamaki was speechless. As she looked into Usagi's eyes, which were red and puffy from all the crying, she could see a spark of determination. Never had she seen a child accept so easily or that determined to see the brighter side of the situation. Usually the child would still be in denial and threw a tantrum then the social worker would have to practically drag the screaming child to the orphanage. It was never a pleasant sight or experience, but Usagi was different from all the other children she's worked with. Tamaki could feel a strong sense of inner strength coming from this little girl, that one day the world is going to change with her sunshine.

"Your mama was right, Usagi. You are like the sun, shining so bright that it makes people feel warm on the inside." A soft smile came across Usagi's lips, the first one in days, it lit up her face making her look like a little angel sent down from the heavens. Tamaki couldn't help but reciprocate the expression.

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Usagi had been living at the Little Treasures Orphanage for about a week. The orphanage was a fairly large building with two levels that was able to hold twenty children at a time. Throughout the week she had seen a variety of emotions being expressed from the children. A few of the orphans her age were hopeful about finding a new home, some were bitter about living with complete strangers which lead to anger and others have simply abandoned the thought of being adopted from constantly being rejected in favor for a different child.

The couples who were looking to adopt had been coming and leaving almost on a daily basis. Sometimes they left disheartened that they couldn't find the right child, but more often than not many left with an exuberant little one, both finally having their one dream fulfilled, trailing after the two.

Usagi was standing before a fairly young couple in their mid-twenties. When the couple was introduced to her, their eyes lingered on her strange hairstyle first then trailed down to look at her big blue eyes and adorable smile. The look and aura of innocence that radiated from Usagi was what made most couples decide to adopt her in an instant; this pair was no different from all the others. Unfortunately, each and every time a couple wanted to take her home she would refuse to leave with them.

"Usagi-chan, why don't you want to go with them?" Mariko asked. She was once an orphan living at Little Treasures Orphanage and has now become the caretaker.

Usagi clasped her hands behind her back and shrugged her shoulders as she meekly dropped her chin to her chest, "I don't know. I just don't." Her face was downcast and her eyes were beginning to shine with tears. When she tilted her head up to look at the couple, she could see their disappointed faces, "I'm sorry. I really am."

Mariko excused them and gently ushered Usagi out of the room towards the kitchen while whispering quiet reassurances. She sat Usagi down at the kitchen table and fixed her a light snack consisting of cheese and crackers with a glass of milk. Once the food was placed in front of Usagi, Mariko rubbed small circles on her back for a short while before excusing herself to deal with the couple.

Once Usagi was alone, she softly sniffled and wiped at her wet eyes. Her little heart was distressed to be the cause for other people's unhappiness. She didn't know why she kept saying 'no' to all of those families. In the back of her mind she knew she should be happy that so many would want her to be their daughter, but none of them had _felt_ right to her. Perhaps the reason for all of her refusals was because it was unfair to the other children. It was obvious that the other orphans have been there longer than her and Usagi wanted them to find their happiness before finding hers.

A large sigh escaped her mouth. She eyed the food that was set in front of her; she didn't want to think about unhappy parents and children anymore when there was a delicious snack within arm's reach. Usagi contently munched away at the cheese and crackers until there was nothing left except crumbs.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Sailor Moon does not belong to me.**

A/N: I had an absolute blast writing this chapter! I'm hoping the pace will start to pick up soon, but some parts write itself and goes in a completely different direction than the one I had planned out! Ah, well I guess that's the beauty of fanfiction. Anything can happen!

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At Little Treasures Orphanage, most of the children had to share their bedroom with a roommate. Sometimes a couple of the older orphans would be lucky enough to get a bedroom to themselves, but more often than not they had to bunk with the younger ones. Usagi's room was large enough to fit a pair of beds, dressers and night tables. The beds were against the wall on either side of the room with the dressers at the foot and the night tables to the side of each bed. A window was in the middle of the wall between the two beds and a large circular rug took up most of the floor. Her roommate, a quiet six year old by the name of Akane, had claimed the left side of the room when Usagi arrived at the orphanage.

When Usagi first met Akane, she thought it would be best to make friends with her since they were roommates and all, but the look Akane had given her sent shivers down her spine. Akane's mouth was set in a permanent scowl and her eyes; they were so cold and narrowed to glare at everything around her. Usagi had striven plenty of times to uplift Akane's mood, but when her efforts of friendship were being constantly ignored, she had reluctantly given up.

Usagi was lying down on her stomach on top of her bed with her head bent over a coloring book. Her bed was littered with sheets of paper that had childish drawings of stick figures, animals, buildings, flowers and just about anything her imaginative mind could create. A box of crayons was sitting at a small distance to her right for easy access and occasionally Usagi would dip her hand inside to exchange her crayon for a different color. Her tiny pink tongue was poking out at the corner of her mouth and her eyebrows were scrunched in intense concentration as she tried her best to color inside the lines.

The sun was just beginning to sink down into the horizon signifying the end of the day. The last rays of light flowed in through the window and ensconced Usagi in its beams of warmth. The light hit her blonde hair and it seemed as if she was surrounded in a halo of light. Usagi looked up from her coloring and saw a myriad of colors from the setting sun covering the sky, painting it in brilliant shades of pink, blue, yellow and purple. Immediately her blue orbs sparkled in joy as inspiration hit her.

Usagi hurriedly pushed her coloring book away and grabbed a new sheet of paper. She dug around in her crayon box for the right colors and started furiously scribbling all over her once blank paper. Her odangoes bobbed on the top of head and her pigtails swayed with her movements. Every once in a while she would stop to take a quick glance out the window to make sure the colors were right before resuming what she was doing. When she suddenly stopped her frantic scribbling, sat up straight and held the piece of paper in both of her hands at arm's length, she would look at the sky then back to her drawing to see if she missed anything. Gradually a radiant smile danced on her lips. Her masterpiece of the setting sun was complete. As she was admiring her work of art, Mariko knocked softly on the door frame to announce her presence.

"Usagi-chan? There's one more person who would like to meet you." Mariko walked towards Usagi and briefly touched her shoulder. "We'll be waiting in the front room when you're ready, okay?" With that she quietly left Usagi to herself.

Usagi's smile disappeared and her mouth was pulled down into a frown. Little pangs of guilt were going through her at the thought of another person wanting to adopt her. She didn't enjoy the feeling of upsetting so many people because they couldn't add her as a new addition to their family. With a long-suffering sigh she got up from her messy bed and left her room.

When she arrived to the front room she saw Mariko standing to the side and a dark green haired woman sitting on the plush loveseat.

"Usagi-chan, come closer. This is Meiou Setsuna and she would like to adopt you." Setsuna rose from where she was sitting and covered the distance between them with a few short strides. She crouched down so that she was at eye level with Usagi. Her arms rested on her knees and she offered her a friendly smile.

"Hello Usagi, Mariko-san has told me a little bit about you. You're such a brave little girl to be going through this. Why don't you tell me some things about yourself?"

"Um, my name is Tsukino Usagi and I'm three years old. I like bunnies because they're so fluffy and soft and I really, _really_, like to eat ice cream!" She beamed at Setsuna when she finished ticking off her list on her tiny fingers. Setsuna chuckled a little bit at Usagi's exuberance; she was still such a bright star shining brilliantly amidst all the darkness that had taken place.

"Do you know why I'm here?" She tenderly asked. Usagi's smile dimmed a bit and she slowly nodded her head.

"Mariko-san says that you keep saying 'no' to everyone who wants to take you home, why is that?" Setsuna was curious. She had thought Usagi would have been adopted by now and would have to protect her from the sidelines.

Trying to avoid the question since she didn't quite know the answer herself, Usagi refused to meet Setsuna's eyes and instead looked at anything else besides her. As she was looking around the room she noticed one thing that was different about this meeting from all the others.

Desperate to change the subject, she blurted out, "Where's the man? Everyone else had one."

Setsuna was shocked to say the least at the little girl's boldness. She blinked a couple of times as she thought of what to say.

Thankfully Mariko stepped in and answered for her, "Er… Usaigi-chan, Setsuna-san is single and would like to adopt you by herself. She's quite successful and can still provide a good home for you."

"Tha-That's right!" Still a little bit flustered Setsuna continued, "I've been very lonely lately and I was hoping that if you agree to come home with me then we wouldn't be lonely anymore. We would have each other and I promise that I will never leave you." Her words were spoken softly at the end and she offered her hand out to Usagi with her palm facing upwards, waiting for her to make her decision.

Usagi looked at the outstretched hand and didn't know what to decide. Should she go with this woman? Besides knowing her name this person was a complete stranger. At least with the other couples they gave her some information about their jobs, if there were other siblings, the type of neighborhood, etc.

She took her gaze off of Setsuna's hand and stared into her garnet orbs. In her eyes, Usagi could see an endless amount of mystery and a touch of loneliness Setsuna had spoken about before. All of a sudden, Usagi was struck with a vague sense of familiarity, as if she had met her before a long time ago in a different lifetime. Somehow she just knew that if she accepted her offer, this woman would make sure that she would be loved and well-protected like no other.

Her decision made, Usagi slowly reached out to Setsuna's patiently waiting hand. As she placed her small hand into Setsuna's larger one, it suddenly felt _right_.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon.**

A/N: Ahhh! This is such a short chapter. I try to write at least 1000+ words per chapter and this is less than 500. T.T But I figured this would sort of be a stepping stone for what's to come in future chapters.**  
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Time was such a tricky thing. At one point it could feel like time was frozen at a standstill, in another it could pass by without a second thought and it could even slow down until minutes felt like hours and hours felt like days. That was how people experience time, all except one. Setsuna was the only one who was unaffected by it. She had never experienced a lull in time, having it flash by without her notice or felt it crawling by at a snail's pace. For her, time was a continuous motion; never slowing down nor speeding up, just moving at a constant rate.

As the Guardian of Time and Space, Setsuna was privy to see the past, present and future. She could deal with the past; watching it as history was being made, but it was the future which troubled her so. Setsuna could never see the whole future, merely glimpses and they were always different. At one peek she could see a choice being made in the present which sets off a chain of events that can make one future a prosperous one. At another she saw one future in ruins from past mistakes repeating itself once more.

That is why time is so complex. It was forever ebbing and flowing like a current of water moving in a singular direction. There were too many variables to consider to predicting a definite outcome.

In her long existence, she has witnessed futures that have never come to fruition and many that are still quite possible. To know such facts about the future and to never speak of them pained Setsuna very much, but it was her duty to protect the fabric of time and it was hers to bore alone.

Setsuna could still remember the fall of the Silver Millennium in perfect detail as she was the only Senshi who wasn't reincarnated. If only she was able to warn Queen Serenity of the impending destruction, the Moon Kingdom could have been better prepared. Aside from breaking one of the three taboos which would forfeit her life, there was nothing she could do, but watch.

Nevertheless this time was going to be different. She won't be a passive observer, waiting for things to come, but an active participant fighting for love and justice. This time she'll do everything in her power to make sure the crystal future she had a small peek at will come to pass.

This she vowed.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Sailor Moon isn't mine.**

A/N: I wrote about 300 words (which took forever to drag out of my brain) before my computer crapped out on me and I had to start all over again. That's what I get for not backing up my stuff. *sigh* Anyhoo! Major time skip forward and as much as I adore writing about child Usagi, I have to move the plot forward sometime. Which is why I will be starting a new project! I have 4 chapter ideas that are in the process of being written for my new fic. It's called **Moments in a Bottle** and it will be a series of oneshots about Usagi growing up. So keep an eye out for it and enjoy this chappy!**  
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There were times Setsuna wished Usagi could stay as a little girl forever. To let her enjoy her childhood a brief moment longer before the majority was going to be ruled by destiny. Setsuna was casually leaning against the kitchen counter holding a steaming mug of coffee up to her lips. Ever since Usagi entered her life, time had flown by without her noticing and before she knew it eleven years had passed. Usagi was now fourteen years old attending eighth grade at Juuban Middle School.

It was a quarter to eight and Usagi still wasn't awake yet. If she didn't wake up soon she would have less than fifteen minutes to do her morning business _and _make it to school before the bell rang. Lately it was starting to become a daily morning routine with Usagi waking up screaming and then turning into a flurry of motion. Still, all was silent in the house and Setsuna used what little minutes of peace she had left to be swept away into her memories.

_By the time Setsuna was able to take Usagi home, the sky was speckled with twinkling stars and the moon was peeking out behind a cloud. It was quiet during the car ride to the house. Sometimes the quietness would be broken by a few things said between driver and passenger, but other than that a comfortable silence would settle between them._

_Once the house came into view, Usagi's eyes lit up in excitement and she eagerly pressed her hands and face against the car door window for a better sight. Amusement crossed Setsuna's face as she watched Usagi out of the corner of her eye. She could understand her adoptive daughter's feelings for she felt the very same._

_When the car was finally parked, Usagi hurriedly unbuckled herself and shot out of the car like a bullet. Before Setsuna was able to exit the car, Usagi was already standing in front of the door impatiently waiting to be let inside._

"_Suna-chan, hurry!" Usagi called out._

_A small chuckle escaped Setsuna as she leisurely walked towards Usagi. She teased her little girl by languidly picking out the right key and placing it into the slot. Usagi was not amused by her guardian's antics and let it show by sticking out her lower lip and placing her tiny hands on her hips._

_When the 'click' of the lock was heard, Usagi practically tore the door off its hinges in her haste to get inside. A sharp gasp was let out the moment she took one step into her new home. Setsuna grasped her hand and started to give her a tour. Usagi's eyes couldn't stop roving everywhere! The house was fairly large for just two people and Usagi felt giddy by the prospect of spending days exploring each and every room._

_It was nearing nine-o-clock and Setsuna could see that Usagi was exhausted. Her feet were beginning to drag, her eyes were droopy and overall it looked like she was about ready to fall asleep from where she was standing. The new mother picked up her small bundle of arms and legs and carried her upstairs to bed. Usagi laid her head on the crook of Setsuna's neck as she inhaled a faint whiff of her perfume. She smelt like a spring day after a thunderstorm with a hint of honey, it was sweet and refreshing. Usagi was lulled to sleep by the rhythmic motion of being carried and the scent of spring rain and honey wrapping itself around her like a warm cocoon._

"Kyaaaaaah!"

Setsuna blinked her eyes at the high pitched scream followed by a hard _thump_ that could be heard from the occupant upstairs.

"I'm late, I'm late, I'm _so_ laaaaaate!" was the mantra Usagi kept repeating as the blonde blur streaked downstairs. She paused for a split second to place her shoes on the correct feet before charging out the front door. Setsuna heaved a sigh behind her coffee. Her adoptive daughter forgot to take her lunch with her once again and would most likely have a detention for being late, however, Setsuna had a feeling that today wasn't going to be just like any other day.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon.**

A/N: I'm terribly sorry for the lack of updates! Please visit my profile for further details about why. When I hand wrote this chapter it took up 3 pages, but since my writing is on the slightly larger side maybe that's why it looked a lot longer than it actually was. My laptop was recently infected by a virus and luckily I was able to get it fixed. Nothing was lost and I've learned that I need to backup my writing to at least 3 different places in case something like this happens again.**  
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Not for the first time and probably not for the last, twin streamers of blonde hair were whipping in the wind as Usagi ran at breakneck speed.

"AHHH! I can't believe I'm going to be late again!" It wasn't always like this though. Before, Usagi was able to get to school on time without any problems. On rare occasions she'd even get there ten minutes early, but recently she had been having nightmares where she would toss and turn all night long. Usagi used to be able to wake up at the first ring of her alarm clock, but now at the very second her alarm began ringing, her hand would fling out to shut it off and she'd go right back to sleep. In the morning when she woke up she could never remember what she had dreamt about, but the sound of clashing metal and the smell of blood would always linger behind before they too faded away from memory.

Usagi was in the middle of turning a corner when she ran face first into something hard. Her book bag was flung in one direction while she bounced off of the mysterious thing she hit and landed heavily on her back. For a minute she simply laid there on the ground, staring up at the cloudless sky as she tried to gather her wits.

'_Since when did a wall get placed there?_' She sat up slowly and gingerly felt along her head for any long lasting damage. Usagi let out a painful groan when her fingers came across a bump the size of a chestnut on the back of her head. Her groan was echoed by a deeper, more masculine voice. Usagi's eyes trailed across the ground to find the source of that noise and when she did, she also figured what exactly she had run into.

There, right in front of her, was a young teenaged boy sprawled out on the ground just beginning to open his eyes.

"What happened?" The stranger asked. The last thing he could remember was coming around the corner and then darkness. Whatever hit him had knocked him into a mini coma for a short period.

"I'm sorry! I'm really, really sorry!" A string of apologies were spilling out of Usagi's mouth until she was nearly blue in the face. Still a bit dazed, the stranger raised his arm in a silent plea for assistance. Usagi immediately sprung up to help her victim to his feet. Once he was steady enough to stand on his own, Usagi couldn't take her eyes off of him. He was absolutely gorgeous with his ebony hair, midnight blue eyes and suave voice.

"Not only do you crash into people without looking, you're also quite rude with your staring."

Usagi snapped out of her daydream and saw the look of irritation written all over the teenager's face. A blush bloomed onto her cheeks as she looked away and mumbled an apology.

"I know I'm good looking, but didn't anyone teach you it's impolite to stare at others and to watch where you're going?"

"Hey! I said I was sorry for both of those!" Any fantasies Usagi had about the handsome hunk vanished the moment he opened his mouth.

"As much as I _enjoyed_ this encounter, I'm going to be late for school." The ebony haired teen collected his scattered books and brushed past the still blushing girl. "By the way there's drool on the corner of your mouth, Odango Atama!" He threw back over his shoulder.

"Wha? Drool? Odango Atama? That jerk!" Usagi discretely wiped her mouth with the back of her hand to find it was still dry. She then remembered him mention the words 'late' and 'school' and she glanced down at her watch. There was five minutes left before the bell rang and Usagi quickly snapped into a whirlwind motion.

Miraculously Usagi was able to slip past the school gates before they were fully closed. She managed to sneak into class just as Haruna-sensei began roll call. Usagi was crawling along the floor between desks, making sure that her teacher wouldn't see her. Some students were giggling at her antics and others tried to ignore her.

"Tsukino Usagi!"

At the mention of her name, Usagi popped into her chair and yelled out, "Here!" startling quite a few around her including Haruna, who wasn't expecting Usagi to be present. As roll call continued on, relief filled Usagi at the thought of not getting detention. Her stomach decided to make itself known as it reminded her that she didn't have breakfast and she forgot her lunch. Usagi's head fell onto her desk and she let out a quiet groan. It was going to be a long day.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Sailor Moon doesn't belong to me.**

A/N: I'm terribly sorry for the long delay! I've been bouncing between temporary jobs and trying to find permanent work in this crazy world with no such luck. It's absolutely frustrating when I'm sending out heaps of resumes and there isn't a single call back, but enough with that. I had a lot of fun writing this out! I've never had to write such strong emotions before and I hope I did a decent enough job. Lately I find that if I just go with the flow of things, chapters are written quicker and ideas pop out of no where. Enjoy and reviews are much appreciated!**  
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At last the final bell rang indicating that school was officially over for the day. Students were spilling out the front gates and lost amongst the crowd was Usagi. She was staring at a piece of paper in her hands, unfortunately it wasn't just any regular piece of paper; it was the test she had written the day before. She was lamenting her mark while walking towards the Crown Arcade, hoping to drown her sorrows in a large triple chocolate milkshake.

"Ohhh, Suna-chan is going to be so disappointed and I can't take those looks anymore!" The blonde haired girl wailed under her breath which was quite an incredible feat for one such as herself. "There goes my allowance money for this weekend." She heaved a heavy sigh and viciously crumpled her test then carelessly tossed it over her shoulder.

"Hey! Are you blind? Watch where you're throwing your garbage!"

Usagi stopped dead in her tracks, "Does it look like I have eyes on the back of my head? And I'm not blind, I can see perfectly well, thank you very much!"

"I wouldn't be too sure since you're the one who knocked me unconscious, Odango Atama."

'_Wait a minute; I recognize that voice and that stupid name!_' Usagi spun on her heel and saw the same jerk from this morning standing behind her with the crumpled test paper in his hand.

"You again? Are you stalking me or something because why else- What do you think you're doing?" Usagi was having a near panic attack when she saw the teen un-crumpling her paper. No one else was supposed to look at that before she had the chance to destroy all of the evidence. To her it seemed as if everything was moving in slow motion. She saw his lips moving, but couldn't hear a word he was saying over the loud beating of her heart. Then she saw his fingers opening up the crumpled mess bit by bit and before she knew what was happening, Usagi was flying towards his body, arms outstretched and hands ready to snatch her test back.

"Considering you were using my head as a trash can, I believe I've earned the right to see exactly what assaulted me." He barely had the time to take in the sight of the many red marks marring the once pristine paper and the score at the top of the page, which was written in large numbers, before he felt a large mass tackle him to the ground.

"Oomph!" The ebony haired teen grunted as he landed hard on his back. Usagi's grunt was muffled by her face being crushed against a solid chest. And what a lovely chest it was! She could feel his abs through his school shirt. They were hard yet soft in all the right places and she was content to lay there for a while. Whoever this person was, he's the biggest jerk Usagi had the misfortune of meeting, but he did make a fine landing cushion that's for sure!

"_What_ is the matter with _you_?" His voice snapped Usagi back into reality. She lifted her head from his chest and saw a small crowd staring while whispering and pointing at them. Her whole face was covered in a blush in less than a second as she took in the very compromising position they were in. Usagi was practically straddling this stranger in the middle of the street no less. She hurriedly scrambled off of him and in the process she accidentally elbowed him in the stomach and her knee came dangerously close in making contact with his groin.

"What's the matter with _me_? What about _you_? That was an invasion of privacy!" Her paper was safely clutched against her chest in a death grip as she glared murderously at the jerk.

"That's nothing compared to the number of times you've assaulted me! Besides I saw what was on that paper you're nearly tearing apart." A smug smile appeared on his lips as he casually placed his hands in his pant pockets and rocked back on his heels.

Usagi clenched her jaw and shot daggers out of her eyes at the smug teen. Steam was essentially coming out of her ears a she shook in repressed rage. Heedless of her demeanor, he continued, "A thirty? How could you get that low of a mark on such an easy test? Is there something wrong with your brain, Odango Atama?"

"Usagi!"

He raised an eyebrow, "And what does a rabbit have to do with anything?"

"That's my name, you great big jerk! Not Odango Atama! U-SA-GI! If you can't get it right then don't say anything at all!" She spat out at him.

He rubbed his chin and a thoughtful expression crossed over his face as he mulled over her words. "But your hair reminds me of odangoes. Plus they're on the top of your head. It's only fitting to call you Odango Atama." With that he gave her a superior grin and waited for her reaction.

By now Usagi was seeing red. With a great deal of self control, she reigned in her volatile emotions before she did something she would regret, such as murdering him (not like he didn't deserve it) in broad daylight with many witnesses.

"I'm through talking with you." Her mood spoiled, she turned around and decided to head home instead. She'd rather face Setsuna's disappointment than deal with that jerk any day! As she walked away, Usagi never noticed the lingering stare the teen gave her before he too went his own way.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Sailor Moon does not belong to me.**

**A/N: **I apologize for the long delay! I recently came back from my vacation and during my time away I was able to jump back into writing. I was planning on adding some more to this chapter, but there was still so much I had to write for where I wanted this part to go that I decided to split it up. I hope you all enjoy the latest installment and remember to review!

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The moment she heard the sound of a 'click' signaling the front door had shut, Usagi closed her eyes and leaned her full weight upon the door. She had managed to cool down her anger during the walk home and now she was just exhausted. A rumble from her stomach reminded her that she didn't manage to have a single meal at all today; the small tidbits Naru and Umino were able to spare for her during lunch didn't do anything at all to satisfy her monstrous appetite. Usagi stealthily made her way towards the kitchen hoping to grab whatever she can get her hands on to stop her noisy stomach while avoiding Suna-chan.

"Is that you, Usagi-chan?"

Surprised at the sound of Setsuna's voice, Usagi managed to trip over her own two feet giving gravity the opportunity to do its job of pulling her down. Her grunt of pain was successfully muffled by the floor when she landed on her face, however, Usagi couldn't stop the 'thump' which resounded throughout the house when her body hit the floor.

"Usagi-chan?"

'_She didn't hear it. She didn't hear it. She didn't hear it._' was the mantra Usagi kept repeating in her head, but the sound of Setsuna's footsteps heading in her direction dashed her wishful thinking.

"Usagi-chan, what are you doing?" Slowly Usagi lifted her head to see Setsuna standing in front of her with a raised eyebrow. "And why didn't you answer me the first time?"

"Ehehehe... Well you know, the floor was looking lonely so I decided to greet it with a hug."

"And that's the reason why you didn't answer me the first time I called out?" A sheepish grin spread across Usagi's lips as of that was the real answer to Setsuna's question. Used to her adoptive daughter's absurd antics which she has grown quite fond of overtime, Setsuna bent down to lend a helping hand to the clumsy blond's feet. Once Usagi was steady on her own she lifted a hand and gently touched her nose. It was a bit red and sore from being smushed against the floor, but other than that it was alright.

"Alright now young lady, I know you had a test today. How did you do?"

Reluctant to tell Setsuna the truth, Usagi opened her mouth to tell her that she had passed when her rumbling stomach decided to cut her off.

"I guess we should get something into that belly of yours since you weren't able to eat breakfast or lunch, but don't think for a second that I've forgotten about that test." At the mention of food, Usagi obediently followed Setsuna to the kitchen where a plate of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies was waiting to be devoured by her. In a blink of an eye, Usagi pounced on her sweet prey and managed to shove five cookies into her mouth at once. At times Setsuna was amazed at how much her daughter could eat all at once. Where does it all go and is her stomach actually a black hole? These are the questions that float around her mind as she merely watched Usagi eat cookie after cookie as if the world was about to end. After five minutes had passed all that was left was an empty plate of crumbs and one content Usagi. Wasting no time, Setsuna cut directly to the chase, "Now Usagi, where is your test?"

She knew Suna-chan was serious when she dropped the 'chan' from her name and used her no-nonsense voice. Once more Usagi thought about saying she passed, but decided against it. Lying always brought her more trouble than it was worth and somehow Setsuna could always tell that it was one. It was almost as if she could look into the future and that was how she figured out the real truth.

Hesitantly Usagi reached into her school bag and took her sweet time "searching" for her test trying to delay the inevitable for as long as possible. She couldn't keep up with the charade for long (there was only so much time she could use to look for a single piece of paper in a small space), Usagi pulled her hand back to reveal a mangled test paper filled with wrinkles and tiny rips along the edges. She dropped it into Setsuna's expectant hand then waited for her reaction. Absolute silence engulfed the kitchen as Setsuna looked at the test. Taking advantage of her mother's distraction, Usagi inched her way towards the hallway.

"Usagi."

The sound of her name stopped her cold in her tracks. She was so close to her goal that had she just taken one more step then she would have been able to make a clean get-a-way. Dread filled her entire being as she turned to face Setsuna. Fortunately Setsuna was able to master the ability to make a poker face ever since she was a child. Not a single emotion could break through her blank mask due to her iron will or else she wouldn't have stayed as the Guardian of Time and Space for as long as she has if every emotion was shown whenever she witnessed future events. And believe her there were plenty of times when Queen Serenity would inquire about the future out of sheer curiosity. Questions such as, "Will Earth join the Silver Millennium?" or "Do you think Princess Serenity will find love on the Moon Kingdom?". Of course Setsuna's answers were vague and cryptic each time, but she always knew Her Majesty was never asking on a whim. Instead the Queen was testing her to see if the burden of Time itself was too much to bear for her mentality.

At the moment mother and daughter were locked in a staring match with neither of them backing down. What exactly are the thoughts going through Setsuna's mind? Usagi felt like she was a little girl again being chastised for doing something she wasn't supposed to do.

"I really don't know what to say. This is the worst mark you've ever gotten. I understand some of the mistakes you made, but how could you get the simplest questions wrong?" Seeing Usagi look so downtrodden made Setsuna's mask slip away. It pained Setsuna to watch her dear princess carry her troubles on her own these past weeks. She wanted to make Usagi feel like she could rely on her a little bit more not only as her duty of being guardian and princess, but as mother and daughter. Over the years since the first day she brought Usagi home to the present, Setsuna truly thought of her as her own flesh and blood.

"My words may have been a tad harsh, but I know you can do better than this. Usagi, please tell me what's the matter?"

Taking a deep breath Usagi revealed about the vivid nightmares she's been having night after night. About a gruesome battlefield, screams of agony and watching people she didn't recognize, but for some reason cared for deeply, sacrifice themselves for her to get to safety.

"It all feels so real like I actually lived through it. But whenever I wake up, I can't remember what it was about." Usagi paused after talking about her frightening dreams. It felt like a great weight had been lifted off of her chest and now she was able to breathe easier. "Not only that, but today I bumped into this jerk twice! He was so rude and kept calling me this awful name. Just thinking about it is making me mad again!"

"Oh?" This peaked Setsuna's interest. It wasn't everyday that something like a rude stranger could set off Usagi in a second flat. "The chances of you bumping into him a third time are high considering you encountered him twice today."

"Oh, ew! I really hope I never see his ugly mug again!"

"You never know. He could be a secret admirer." Setsuna teased. The thought of considering him as a prospective love interest made a shudder crawl up Usagi's spine. '_Like that'll ever happen._' She thought.

"All joking aside, you still have your punishment. You are to come home immediately after school for the next week. That means no more stopovers at the Crown Arcade and your allowance will be cut. Understood?"

"Yes." Dejected at the loss of heavenly milkshakes and video gaming, Usagi knew this was coming and accepted her punishment without complaint.

"Here, I got you something to cheer you up." Setsuna reached into her pocket and pulled out a small golden broach. Handing it off to Usagi, it was no bigger than the palm of her hand. "Do you like it?"

Awed, Usagi held the broach above her head. Tiny sparkles were bouncing off of its polished surface from the light of the sun, making it look they were dancing.

"It's beautiful! Thank you, Suna-chan!" A radiant smile spread across Usagi's face as she hugged her gift close to her chest. Relieved that the broach brought such joy to her, Setsuna then sent Usagi off to her room to start on her homework. Once the bouncing blonde was out of sight a troubled look crossed over Setsuna's face. The nightmares Usagi were having disturbed her greatly for she never expected her princess to begin remembering this early. It was much too soon and her destiny has barely even begun yet.

'_Oh, Usagi-chan. I fear the road ahead of you will be twice as difficult, but please, please stay strong for what is to come._' With that silent prayer, Setsuna quietly slipped out of the house.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon.**

**A/N: **So much has happened in my life since the past month. After coming back from vacation, a family tragedy occurred then I had to work for 2 weeks straight, find a second job, was hired and began training. All in all it has been a busy month. Luckily I have plenty of free time at my second job to write! Originally this was supposed to be the second half of ch.9, but I didn't know what to write after the first half so I decided to split them until inspiration hit me. Please enjoy and reviews are the highlight of my day!

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It was a quarter after eight and Usagi was sitting at her kotatsu table diligently working on her algebra homework.

'_Let's see, to find _x,_ I have to combine like variables together, move it to one side, multiply this… No add that first then multiply. Wait, that's not right either. Maybe I have to add from this side and then subtract from that? Or could it be…?'_

"Arrrg!" frustrated from her lack of understanding, Usagi threw her pencil down at her homework making it bounce twice before rolling to a stop at the edge of her table. Math was the bane of her existence since she couldn't get a grasp of what Haruna-sensei was teaching most of the time. All this talk about factoring, right angles, trigonometry and radius' flew straight over Usagi's head. Even when it was explained as simply as it could be, all the information did was confuse the little blonde even more when the addition of random letters from the alphabet and simple geometric shapes were tossed in.

Clutching her hair in a grip that was strong enough to pull chunks out by the roots, Usagi took several deep breaths to calm her rising irritation. Feeling slightly better, Usagi took a quick glance at her homework and saw that only half of the problems were completed. Not in the mood to finish the rest of it and knowing that most of them were going to be marked as wrong anyways, she closed her textbook and shuffled her papers to one side. Folding her arms across the now empty space, Usagi laid her head down and closed her weary eyes for a well deserved nap.

_All around her was chaos. Panicked screams sounded in the air as her people were running away to safety in desperation to escape the impending destruction. She knew the enemy was closing in on the palace as she could hear the explosions coming closer, rocking her once sturdy home on its foundation. An urgent tugging on her right arm by a young female wearing an orange fuku, alerted her to the fact that she had to get out of there. Now._

_The female, yes, Venus was her name, the senshi of love and beauty and leader of her most trusted soldiers, was pulling her along the twisted corridors of the palace all the while maintaining a firm grip on her arm. Turning corner after corner after corner they finally arrived at an empty ballroom. It was smaller than the one that was used for the ball held tonight, but it was clear of any danger and that was what mattered._

_Venus was about to drag her charge into the lavish room when she caught movement out of the corner of her eye from a mass of black, inky shadows. Acting quickly, Venus shoved her companion into the room and slammed the door closed, locking it from the outside._

_Regaining her balance after that harsh push, she ran towards the door and began turning and jiggling the knob. After that proved to be fruitless, she started pounding on the door. _

"_Venus! Venus!" Through the solid oak she could hear the slightly muffled shouts of her guard._

"_For love and justice! Crescent Beam Shower! For our glorious kingdom! Venus Love Me Chai-URK!"_

"_Venus? VENUS!" Her pounding resumed with a new vigor when she heard Venus' uncompleted last attack. When no response came she ceased her assault on the door and slowly slid down to her knees, anguished sobs were torn from her throat as she cried for her lost friend. Knowing Venus would have died in vain if she just sat around doing nothing, she hastily composed herself and sought out an exit. Spotting a pair of double doors leading out to a balcony across the room, she rushed over and threw them open. _

_Stepping outside for the first time since the invasion began, she saw exactly what her kingdom had been reduced to. Over the horizon she could see a never ending horde of youma streaming in, cutting down her people as if they were mere insects. The stars above her were being swallowed up by the thick darkness exuding from the enemy._

"_Shine Aqua Illusion!"_

"_Burning Mandala!"_

"_Sparkling Wide Pressure!"_

_In the distance the repetitive shouts of her remaining senshi's attacks were drowned out by the screeching laughter of the woman with flaming red hair that appeared before her very eyes. A sneer marred the woman's once beautiful face as her crimson eyes, swirling with corrupt madness, glared coldly at her._

"_This is the end for you, _Princess_!" A dark beam of energy shot out of the woman's hands and was heading straight towards her. _

_In that instant it seemed as if everything had slowed down. Was this the work of Pluto? Was she here to help us? Or is this the epiphany of 'watching your life flash before your eyes' one has before dying? _

'_Move! I have to move!' No matter how hard she tried to get out of the way, her body refused to obey her mind's orders. The last thing she heard was that woman's victorious cackling right before the beam of dark energy impacted with her heart._

Usagi's eyes snapped open as she bolted into an upright position.

'_What-what was that?_' She lifted her trembling hand towards her chest and could feel the wild beating of her heart. Her eyes closed and she let a shaky breath escape from her lips as she tried to recall her nightmare. Like trying to grasp water with her fingers, it was already slipping away from her mind. What she could clearly remember was a woman's vicious laugh and the small twinge of pain in her heart. Her hand was absently rubbing her left breast as if she was trying to massage the ache away from her heart. When Usagi reopened her eyes, they caught sight of the broach Suna-chan had given her earlier among the pile of scattered textbooks and note papers.

She picked it up and upon closer inspection, Usagi noticed it looked like it was quite old. Perhaps Suna-chan bought it from an antique store. The broach really was quite beautiful. Typically most broaches were shaped like an oval, but this one was rounded to be more circular. In the middle was a pink circle that was slightly indented as if some object could be placed in and it would fit perfectly and below that was a crescent moon. Surrounding the middle are four small jewels each a different color. At the top was a ruby, to the left a topaz, the bottom was a sapphire and the right had an emerald.

'_Weird. Is it getting warmer?'_ In the palm of her hand the broach was emanating a soft glow, steadily growing brighter and brighter until her bedroom was bathed in a gentle golden light. Usagi wasn't sure what was happening, but as she gazed at the broach in awe, she felt a strange sort of power radiating from the piece jewelry.

"Tsukino Usagi."

Snapping to attention at the mention of her name, Usagi searched wildly around her room for the source of the voice.

"Tsukino Usagi, you must listen carefully." Finally locating the voice coming from the outside, Usagi stood up and walked towards her open window to peer outside. Spying no one out there, Usagi was quite confused.

"Dark forces have arrived in Juuban. You are the only one who is able to defeat them." It was strange. The voice was definitely feminine and even though the words were spoken in a whisper, Usagi heard them clearly as if the person was speaking beside her.

"Who are you?"

"That is not important. At the moment innocent lives are in great danger. You must transform using that broach in your hand."

Startled and suspicious that this stranger knew about her broach, a warning bell was going off in Usagi's head. She's had this broach for less than twelve hours, so how did this stranger even know she had it plus her name and address?

"I don't even know what's going on. You're a total weirdo! And transform? What does that mean?" Usagi said outrageously.

"All will be explained in due time. As for transforming, raise your hand in the air and call out, 'Moon Prism Power, Make Up!'."

Looking down at her broach, Usagi was skeptical at what this person was saying. This entire thing sounded like one big practical joke, however, curious by nature, she figured that she'll play along and see where this all lead to. Stretching her hand high in the air, she yelled out, "Moon Prism Power, Make Up!"

Usagi was blinded by flashes of a bright pink light which erupted from her broach. Once the light faded away and she could see clearly again, she felt that her hands didn't feel right. Looking down at them she saw that they were covered in a pair of white elbow length gloves. Catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she rushed over to it and gawked at her reflection. She was wearing a pair of red knee length boots, a blue, red and white fuku with a large bow on her chest. In the middle of the bow lay her broach which had somehow mysteriously transported itself from her hand to there. On her forehead was a golden tiara with a red stone nestled in the center and her odangoes had a pair of red jewels covering the front of them.

Lightly tracing her tiara with her fingers, she whispered, "I don't believe this."

"You are Sailor Moon, champion of love and justice. It is your duty to right wrongs and triumph over evil."

"My duty? Whoa, whoa, slow down! I think you've made a mistake!" Her? Banish evil? This joke has gone on long enough!

Ignoring Usagi, the voice continued speaking as if she were never interrupted, "Osa-P is under attack by the enemy. You must head over there immediately."

'_Osa-P? Oh, God, Naru-chan!' _"Wait if Osa-P is in trouble, why not call the police?"

"There isn't enough time for the police. Only _you_ have the power to eliminate this threat! Are you willing to risk innocent lives because of your reluctance?"

Flinching back at the harsh tone, Usagi was panicking. If what the stranger said was true, then her best friend was in danger. She had to do something! Steeling her resolve, Usagi leapt through her window, determination was written across her entire body. So focused on the task, Usagi didn't realize she landed safely on her feet after jumping from her second floor window.

'_Naru-chan, please be alright_.' Usagi thought desperately as she bounded in the direction of Osa-P.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: Gosh I hate writing these things all the time. Sailor Moon does not belong to me.**

A/N: Phew! Hello everyone, I'm back after being away for about 9 months! Sheesh, that almost made it sound like I was pregnant. (^.^;) Much is happening in my life right now. I've graduated from college and now I'm busy with helping/planning/throwing my sister her wedding/bachelorette/bridal parties this summer! Yikes! But awesome news, I was on FIRE when I was writing this chapter! Ideas and inspiration were coming at me at mach speed and I couldn't resist adding them in. To make up for my lack of updating, this chapter is a whooping 2500+ words! Please enjoy and remember to review!

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Leaping across rooftop after rooftop was the absolute most exhilarating experience Sailor Moon had ever felt. Every leap and bound had her soaring across the air, making her feel like a bird with the cool air rushing passed her flushed cheeks and pigtails trailing behind, waving in the wind like twin streamers. She was quite tempted to start whooping out loud to express her joy, but quickly squashed that feeling down. Even if there was no one around her, it was still the middle of the night and Sailor Moon didn't want to disturb the neighbor's slumber.

_'The stranger said Osa-P is in danger. Was she talking about some robbers? I mean it _is _a jewelry store after all. Urrg! I should've called the police after all! I should tell Suna-chan to get me a cell phone for things like this! Naru, please be okay, please!'_

In no time at all she had arrived at Osa-P. Sailor Moon crept up towards a window and peeked into the store. Spying no one inside, she tried to find a way in. The only options were the windows and the front and back doors. Going in through the windows was out of the question since she would have to break them and the noise would alert whoever was inside to her presence. Sailor Moon didn't know where the back door was located and she didn't have time to go searching for it so the only choice left was the front door.

'_In movies and T.V. shows the culprit would always leave the front door open for a quick get-away. Perhaps the same would apply here?'_ If everything else failed then Sailor Moon would have no choice, but to smash open a window.

Once Sailor Moon was close enough to the front, the automatic doors slid open with a quiet '_whoosh_'. Quickly stepping inside, the doors closed without a sound. It looked like the security system was already disabled and with no worries about setting off the alarms, Sailor Moon carefully made her way around the store in the dark.

After examining the front of the store, it dawned on her that this was no ordinary robbery or if it could even be called a robbery at all. None of the display cases were broken and there was no sign of any wreckage as far as Sailor Moon could tell.

_Thump_

'_What was that? It sounded like it came from the back._'

With little light to guide her, Sailor Moon trailed her fingers along the wall to where the source of the noise came from. Spotting a sliver of light streaming through a partially closed door, Sailor Moon hastened her steps. Peering through the open space, the sight that greeted her was absolutely horrifying. There, pressed up against the wall was Naru being choked by none other than her mother!

"M…om. Why…are you doing…this?"

"Foolish girl! You still believe I'm your mother? How pathetic!" And before their very eyes this thing, for she can no longer be considered as Naru's mother nor a female for that matter, began to change into a different creature altogether.

The once lustrous copper red hair fell out of its elegant bun into long, wiry rust colored strands. Its skin began to shrivel into itself, turning from a healthy peach glow to a sickly ash gray that had a waxy sheen. The worst part was its face. Once the skin had begun to shrink and tighten against its frame, Sailor Moon could practically see the dips and ridges of its skull, but the part that caught her attention the most were its eyes. With the creatures gaunt features it made its eyes look twice as large as they were supposed to be and they were glowing a feverish yellow.

Both Sailor Moon and Naru ceased all movement when small pinpricks of blood trailed down Naru's neck from the sharp claws that protruded from the tips of its fingers. Heart hammering in her chest, Sailor Moon was taking quick, but small gasps of air when she realized she had been holding her breath while watching that creature's transformation.

"What the heck is that thing?" she breathed out.

"That is called a Youma, a monster sent from the Dark Kingdom. Its only purpose is to serve its master by harming the innocent people of Tokyo." The voice whispered nearby. Flinching back, Sailor Moon had forgotten about the stranger when she had set foot into Osa-P. Taking her eyes off of the scene before her, Sailor Moon turned her head to look in the general direction the voice had spoken from.

"Youma? Well no wonder it's a monster. The bad guys always choose the ugliest ones to serve them."

"This is no time to be making jokes, Sailor Moon! You must do something before the Youma is able to hurt others!"

"Why me? You're the one who knows what this thing is called and where it came from, why can't you do it?" Lost in her tirade, Sailor Moon wasn't aware that her voice had been rising little by little until the door was ripped open and she was face to face with the Youma. Now that the distance between heroine and monster was shortened, Sailor Moon could see just how hideous this thing really was. Every crease and wrinkle the skin clung to its bones was startling visible.

'_This must be what a mummy would like if it wasn't wrapped up.'_ Disgusted at the sight before her, she almost forgot what kind of situation she was in until the Youma spoke, "Oh? And what's this? A little girl playing dress up has decided to join the other pathetic human in the fun." Still holding Naru by the neck single handedly, the Youma lost interest in its first plaything now that a fresh new toy has arrived, carelessly flung Naru to the other side of the room. A sickening _crack_ followed by a soft _thud_ resounded in the still room. Sailor Moon could scarcely believe what she had just witnessed. One moment her friend was there and the next she was flying through the air, impacting the wall hard enough to leave a hairsbreadth crack. Naru laid there crumpled into herself on the ground. She wasn't moving.

"Naru? Naru!" Instead of it coming out as a scream like Sailor Moon had intended, it was more of a feeble whimper.

"Hmph, that small human wasn't even worth the effort, but you, you've got spunk. I'm going to enjoy finishing you off."

Flames of white hot rage were licking at her insides. Never had she felt this much anger and hate directed against a living being before. '_Naru's hurt. She's not moving. Naru's hurt. She's not moving. Naru's HURT. She's NOT moving! ...And it's this entire thing's fault.'_ Finally tearing her eyes away from Naru's form, her furious gaze was directed at the monster that was the cause of all of this. A primal scream erupted from Sailor Moon as she launched herself at the Youma. Before she was able to make contact however, the Youma dodged at the last second, sending Sailor Moon flying head first towards the wall. Dazed and disoriented, Sailor Moon slowly picked herself back up. Luckily her shoulder took the brunt of the collision and a small bump was beginning to form where her head suffered a light knock.

Standing a few feet away was the Youma with a wide grin stretching from ear to ear, showing off the sharp points of each tooth and the pupils of its yellow eyes were dilated with delight.

"Ohohoho! Yes, this is wonderful! You are so much more entertaining than the other little maggot. C'mon, give me more!"

Sailor Moon's temper was rising once more with each word that spewed out of the Youma's mouth. Noticing a rather large and heavy book titled '_How to Make Yourself Glamorous with the Right Jewel' _by her booted foot, Sailor Moon hurriedly picked it up and chucked it at the Youma with all her strength. Once more the Youma managed to sidestep the oncoming lethal tome, however, it wasn't able to avoid the fist, packed full of Sailor Moon's feelings, on its face right after. The heavy blow managed to knock the Youma a few steps back. Heaving with exertion, the knuckles on the fist Sailor Moon had struck with were throbbing in time with her heartbeat and her entire body was shaking due to unsuppressed rage.

"How does my fist taste? Don't worry, if you can't remember I'm more than happy to give you a second and third helping!" Charging at the Youma, Sailor Moon readied her fist once more aiming at the same spot with a clumsy punch. The Youma, having seen through her move, easily blocked the impending strike by enveloping her fist with its hand. Not to be outdone, Sailor Moon struck out with her other hand. Again it was stopped, this time by the Youma grabbing hold of her wrist. Sailor Moon struggled to free herself, but the Youma kept her in place with inhuman strength.

"Why you little brat! You think I'm just going to stand here while I let you attack me? You ruined my beautiful face with that punch. You won't be lucky again!" The Youma snarled while squeezing both its hands. Wincing at the pain shooting through her hand and wrist, Sailor Moon continued her struggles with renewed vigor.

"You call yourself beautiful? Even if you follow all the tips to a 'T' in that book I threw at you, you'd still be one ugly bit- Eyah!" Her words were cut off when the Youma squeezed her captured fist even harder, Sailor Moon could feel the bones in her hand cracking under the pressure. All struggles ceased, but despite the pain she was in, Sailor Moon was still able to level a fierce glare at the Youma.

A smile curled over the Youma's thin lips, "Still have some fight left in you, hmm? Good. Once I take all of your energy, combined with the other humans I've already stolen from, Lord Jadeite will be quite pleased!"

"Energy? You've been stealing energy from people? How?"

"That's right. These humans are quite the fools and petty creatures. Once they see a bargain on jewels they don't even think twice before rushing off to buy the most priceless item they can get their hands on. They're so stupid that they didn't even realize that their life force was slowly being drained away by their new purchases."

Horror was etched on Sailor Moon's face when her brain had processed the words. There were recent rumors floating around Juuban about people suddenly feeling tired for no apparent reason and couldn't get out of bed for days. Thinking back there had been some students in her class that have been absent since the day Osa-P started their bargain deals and they were the ones who had bought something too!

"Give up. Your energy will be mine. There's nothing a mere weakling like you can do to stop me! Ohohoho!"

Sailor Moon clamped her eyes shut. No matter how much the Youma grated on her nerves, it was right. There really was nothing she could do to stop it, after all she was just plain old Usagi, there was nothing that special about her. Sure she got this magical broach that changed her looks and made her into this Sailor whatever, big fat whoop. Unless it suddenly started to shoot out laser beams to get this thing off of her then the chances of her survival have been brought down to zero. Frustrated tears escaped her clenched eyelids; a number of emotions were going through her ranging from fury, hurt, sadness, and panic, but the emotion that was most prominent was the feeling of being helpless.

'_Naru's badly hurt. She could even be dead. I'm sorry, Naru, so sorry for not helping you when you were in danger! And now…'_ "I'm going to die! Wahhh!" Not realizing she had spoken her last thought out loud, the ruby colored jewels adorned on her buns began to glow a bright red from being triggered by her keening wails. The sound was amplified and shattered every piece of glass making the broken shards dance on the floor. The Youma instantly released the blonde heroine, covering its ears in a vain attempt to stop the ear piercing shrieks from penetrating even farther into its mind.

"Shut up! Shut that infernal trap hole!" The Youma tried to screech overtop the noise, but it was lost within the amplified screaming.

"I don't want to diiiiiie!"

"Sailor Moon, You mustn't cry." The voice gently whispered, "I know you are afraid, but you are a very strong person. You can defeat the Youma, I know you can."

They were simple words of encouragement, but it was the confidence behind them that filled Sailor Moon with warmth and the strength needed to beat the living daylights out of the Youma once and for all. Her wailing had died down to nothing more than sniffling. She wiped her tears and prepared herself for the final round of battle.

"Yes, now is your chance! Throw your tiara and repeat after me, 'Moon Tiara Action'!"

The moment Sailor Moon took off her tiara; it turned into a golden disk and hovered slightly above her hand. Positioning her body into a pose to throw her weapon, she shouted, "Moon Tiara Action!", and sent it soaring towards the Youma.

"A cheap accessory like that isn't going to stop me!" The Youma leapt at Sailor Moon bringing down its arm to slash at her with its deadly claws when the tiara neatly sliced through its middle, effectively slicing it in half, and acting like a boomerang returning for a second trip, this time cutting of its head. Swiftly catching the glowing disk, it returned to its former shape and Sailor Moon delicately placed it back onto her forehead. What was once the Youma was now nothing more than a pile of ash scattered across the floor.

"Good job, Sailor Moon. You did very well." The voice praised.

Surveying the destruction brought out by the fight, glass and ash littered the floor everywhere, all the windows and display cases were destroyed and some walls had a few cracks in them, Sailor Moon dearly hoped that Osa-P had insurance that would cover the cost of damages. A low groan was heard behind her and Sailor Moon spun around to see her friend slowly coming to. Relief coursed through her and she rushed over to where Naru lay.

"Naru! I'm so happy you're alive! Don't move around too much!" Sailor Moon fussed over her long time friend, checking to make sure she truly was alive and well. The cut on Naru's neck had stopped bleeding, however, her shoulder had been dislocated from being tossed around like a rag doll. Tears welled up in Sailor Moon's eyes as she looked over Naru's injuries. If only she hadn't frozen when the Youma was transforming she could've saved Naru from being hurt like this.

"Sailor Moon, you can not change the past's mistakes. What's done is done. You're friend may be slightly battered, but alive nonetheless. You helped save her as well as countless others, please find solace in that fact."

Once again wiping away her tears and wishing she had a tissue to blow her nose with, the gentle words brought comfort to her frayed emotions. "Yeah, you're right. Thank you."

"I found your friend's mother tied up in a closet. She's unconscious, but alright. You should call the police and an ambulance. Once you're done with that we should leave. We can't risk having the public made known about you just yet."

Unwilling to argue and too tired to care, all she wanted to do was go into the land of dreams and stay there for the next couple of years, Sailor Moon located the nearest phone and called the authorities. When that was finished she took one last look at Naru and escaped through one of the broken windows.

Over onto the next rooftop was a crouched dark figure watching as the blond heroine made her escape.

'_Who is she?'_ The figure turned around and headed in the opposite direction. Its red lined cape fluttered softly in the wind.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.  
**

**A/N: **Yay, it's an update! This chapter was quite difficult to write because there was so much that needed to be mentioned and I didn't know where I was going with it. I was also re-reading the previous chapters and I've noticed that the format likes to take out the exclamation marks after the question marks (eg. ? ! except without the space in between), it's made me a bit upset because I believe that it takes away some of the impact of what I want to happen. If anyone knows how to fix this problem, please let me know! Other than that, please enjoy this latest installment and reviews are encouraged!

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It was a glorious sunny afternoon in Juuban. The sun was shining without a single cloud in the sky, birds were chirping and men and women of all ages were filling the streets enjoying the wonderful weather. Yes, all in all people were having a pleasant afternoon except for one fourteen-years-old blonde. Instead of embracing the warm afternoon weather like her usual upbeat self, the young female was moving through the crowd like a zombie with one destination in mind. The Crown Arcade. With her long drawn features, slightly hunched back and arms hanging limply at her sides, she made quite the sight when she arrived at the Crown Arcade. Not even bothering to pick up her feet for every step she took, her shoes made a _shrit, shrit, shrit_ sound as she dragged her feet across the smooth tiled floor. All eyes watched as the petite blonde shuffled across the room to seat herself at the first stool she saw at the counter and quite literally heave herself upon the stool. Each person who had seen her entrance was wondering what exactly had made the cheerful blonde into this lifeless doll. An aura of misery was practically oozing out of her pores that made it almost visible to her audience. Even her odangos looked like they were being weighed down by the cloud of gloom hovering overhead of her!

Other than the occasional beeps and bings from the arcade consoles, it was silent. Motoki was the first to break out of his shocked stupor and hurried towards his most treasured customer. Discreetly making 'shooing' motions with his hands, the other patrons stopped their staring and went back to whatever they were doing before. Worried because he had never seen her in such a haggard state before, Motoki gently tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention.

"Usagi? Is there something wrong?"

Usagi raised her head from her slumped position over the counter top to face Motoki. She could clearly see the concern swimming in his forest green eyes and feeling guilty about making him worry about her, Usagi tried her best to reassure him.

"I'm okay, Motoki-onii-san, really. It's just that Haruna-sensei got mad at me again and I had to stay in detention. Again."

Not wanting to pry any further, Motoki swiftly changed the topic of conversation to one that always put a smile on the little bunny's face. Food.

"Alright, Usagi, if that's what you say. Now what can I get you? A deluxe cheeseburger with large fries? The extreme fudge brownie? You name it and I'll make it happen!" Motoki exclaimed with a flourish of his arms.

She lightly giggled at the sandy blond's way of cheering her up. It had felt like forever since she had last smiled she thought. "Thanks, Motoki-onii-san, but I think I'll have a chocolate sundae instead."

"Your wish is my command!" Dipping into a small bow, Motoki left to fulfill Usagi's order. Left alone to herself once more the smile slowly slid from her face and Usagi let out a deep sigh. Delving back into her thoughts, Usagi looked back at the events that had transpired over the past few weeks after the Osa-P incident.

_Exhausted from the battle, her mind was barely registering what was happening around her and her body moved without her knowing as though it was on auto pilot. Slipping in through her bedroom window she trudged towards her inviting bed. It was almost beckoning her to crawl between the fluffy comforter and rest her weary body on its soft mattress so she did just that. Unable to resist the call of sleep, the moment her head had hit the pillow she slipped off into blissful darkness._

_When Usagi woke up the next morning the first thing her mind registered was the annoying beeping of her alarm. Cracking open her bleary eyes she immediately covered them with her arm when the obtrusive beams of sunlight streamed in momentarily blinding her. Slowly lowering her arm when she was sure she wouldn't lose her sight again, Usagi merely laid on her bed staring up at the ceiling. The beeping of the alarm was still making noise right next to her. In the back of Usagi's mind she was alerted to the fact that it was past the time to still be laying in bed and she should be getting ready, but at the moment the alarm was nothing more than unimportant background noise. A pleasant breeze wafted in through the still open window, breathing in the cool air Usagi was dazed and confused. She didn't know what to make of the previous events last night. Monsters and superpowers? One of Usagi's dreams was to be like Sailor V, her number one idol. She probably spent about half of her weekly allowance playing the Sailor V game at the Crown Arcade trying to get her name onto the high scores. It was too surreal. Looking down at herself, Usagi noticed that she wasn't in her sailor fuku anymore, but in her normal school uniform though slightly more wrinkled from sleeping in it and nestled in the middle of her red bow was the broach staring innocently up at her. She never remembered putting it back on after took she it off to inspect it. In her denial, Usagi had chalked it up as one bad dream, however, the reality of the situation was the "dream" was very much real. It had actually happened and her body can attest to that fact. It was sore in places from where she had impacted, especially her wrist, and her knuckles were a little bruised from the punch she threw. Groaning at the fact that it was no dream, Usagi slammed a hand down on the annoying alarm and rolled onto her side to look at the time. Eyes popping out of her head when she saw she had five minutes to get to school, she did her usual, "I'm late!" screech and sprint routine out the door._

_The days that followed after the Osa-P incident were nothing short of hectic for Usagi. By day she was a regular middle school student and by night she was this butt kicking, youma dusting superhero. Although she did all the fighting she was never alone. By the third youma attack her mysterious companion had told Usagi to refer to her as 'Ninth'. Now Usagi still hadn't a clue as to what Ninth looked like because she was always off into the shadows offering Usagi strategic advice and solid moral support. Oddly enough whenever there was an impending youma attack, Ninth would always be able to track the young blonde down to inform her. It perturbed her very much. Usagi would be off minding her own business and then she'd hear her mysterious companion's low whisper. It felt like she was being watched every second of every day otherwise how else would Ninth know exactly where she was? _

_Shortly after that, Ninth must have picked up on Usagi's unsettled feelings because she was presented with a communicator in the form of a small compact mirror. It was inconspicuous and brought much relief to the teen's nerves._

She was brought out of her musings by the arrival of Motoki with her treat.

"Here you go! One chocolate sundae with an extra scoop of ice cream, free of charge, for my favorite customer!" Motoki placed the heavenly dessert in front of her with a good natured wink before wandering off to attend to another customer. Her mood increasing dramatically with the prospect of tasting the slowly melting sweetness that was her ice cream; Usagi's eyes trailed after her Motoki-onii-san's form, sparkles twinkled in her cerulean orbs and a dreamy sigh escaped her lips as she divulged in fantasies of them being together for a moment or two. Once she was finished going through La La Land, Usagi forced her attention on the sugary confection sitting in front of her waiting to be devoured. To others a chocolate sundae would like any other frozen dessert. To Usagi though, a chocolate sundae was like a masterpiece. There were four perfectly large scoops of vanilla ice cream slathered with a liberal amount of chocolate sauce that was topped off with a spray of whipped cream and a bright red cherry delicately perched on top. Dipping her spoon into the soft vanilla, Usagi scooped up a generous amount and placed it into her mouth. Closing her eyes in pleasure, a moan escaped without her notice as she savored the cool sweetness sliding down her throat. Opening her eyes, Usagi quickly dug into her sundae with more relish.

Unbeknownst to the little blonde, a pair of midnight blue eyes belonging to a dark haired male had been watching her since the moment she had set foot inside the Crown Arcade. Two stools were what separated the distance between them. He was shocked that she had willingly chosen a seat so close to him though he shouldn't have been surprised. In the state that he'd seen her come in as, he doubted if the blonde would have noticed anything around her. The dark haired teen nearly choked on his coffee when he heard a sensual moan slip past the pink lips of the female beside him. Slack jawed and eyes widening in disbelief that such a stimulating sound could from, in his case, the biggest pain on his back as he watched her consume her ice cream with gusto. It was no secret that he didn't like her and vice versa; their fights were well known throughout the Crown Arcade. People would stop and watch as the two polar opposites traded verbal barbs at each other with Motoki trying to play as a mediator between the two.

Ever since the first day the tiny blonde came at him like a charging bull it became a daily occurrence for her to knock him down in the mornings. Not only was he seeing her once on his way to school, but at the Crown Arcade after classes were over as well. In the weeks that they've known each other he never bothered to remember what her name was and he was certain she didn't know who he was either. She always referred to him as 'Jerk' and he called her 'Odango Atama' with a large amount of amusement on his part watching her reaction.

He was broken out of his stupor when Motoki meandered back to check on the Odango Atama.

"How was it Usagi?" Dropping her spoon back into the empty bowl after finishing the last spoonful, Usagi gave a sigh of contentment.

"It was great, thank you! I wish it didn't have to end though."

Spotting his chance to rile the little blonde, the dark haired teen went in for the attack, "At the rate you were eating I'm surprised the bowl and spoon weren't sucked in along with the ice cream in the vacuum that you call a mouth."

Usagi twitched in surprise as the voice of the male she disliked the most in the world drifted to her ears. Swiveling around to face him she let out an indignant squeak when she saw the short distance between them. Pointing an accusing finger at him, Usagi screeched out, "When did you get here? Why are you sitting so close to me?"

Lifting his cooling cup of coffee to his lips, the ebony haired male took a leisurely sip before answering," Listen Odango Atama, if you had even bothered to take in your surroundings when you stumbled in here like the living dead, you would have noticed that I was already sitting here way before you arrived. _You're_ the one who chose to sit this close to _me_."

Before Usagi could make a retort, Motoki quickly interjected, "Now now Mamoru, it's obvious that Usagi's had a tough day. There's no need to be so mean to her." As much as Motoki enjoyed watching their fights just like everybody else, with the mood Usagi was in earlier he didn't want to see his best friend be sent to the hospital for a concussion after being brained by the empty ice cream bowl. He slyly managed to remove all throw able objects out of the enraged blondes reach as he distracted them both.

"C'mon Mamoru, be nice. Just this once for your ol' pal Motoki?" Seeing the blank look on the male's, now known as Mamoru, face, he knew he had to pull out the big guns, "Okay if not for me then for your precious coffee. If you do this you'll continue to get your free coffee." The blank look was soon replaced with abject horror.

Mamoru was forced to make a hard decision. On one hand he enjoyed watching Odango Atama try to come up with a better retort than the last and seeing who would gain the upper hand. On the other Motoki was going to take away his caffeine. It's not like the Crown Arcade served the best coffee in the whole entire world, it tasted like and other regular cup of joe, but it was free and that was what mattered!

"So what you're saying is that if I stop picking fights with Odango Atama today you'll still give me free coffee?" At the nod of affirmation from Motoki, Mamoru grudgingly agreed to the terms.

Clapping his hands together, Motoki turned to Usagi, "Great! Hear that Usagi? Mamoru's agreed to be civil just for today."

Usagi had been silent all throughout the negotiations between the sandy blond and the ebony haired man. Fixing her stare on the latter she bit out, "So the jerk finally has a name, huh? And here I thought that was his given name."

"Funny, I thought the exact same thing for you, Odango Atama. Who knew your parents gave you a name that fit you so well." Mamoru threw back. He was pleased when she puffed her cheeks out as they colored with a furious blush.

"My. Name. Is. USAGI! How many times do I have to tell you before it gets through to the rock that you call a brain? Usagi, Usagi, Usagi!"

"Hmm? What was that, Odango Atama? Your banshee voice was so loud that I went deaf for a second there." Flashing her a haughty smirk, Mamoru successfully hid his victorious grin behind his cup by pretending to take a drink.

"Why you-!" Intervening for a second time that day, Motoki was doing his best to keep the fuming blonde from jumping the short distance and killing his smug best friend.

"Hey you guys, that's enough. Can't you two get along just this once?" He wore down Usagi's defenses by giving her his best puppy dog look to which she immediately agreed. Then he turned his attention to Mamoru by giving his empty cup a pointed look and then at him instantly reminding Mamoru about the agreement. Mamoru sighed reluctantly and nodded his head once in acceptance.

"Good, I hope you both won't cause any more trouble. Anyways shouldn't you be getting home, young missy? You were in detention for quite some time and it's getting pretty late." Mamoru snickered at the mention of detention and a scathing retort was on the tip of his tongue waiting to be released, but the hard stare from Motoki quickly forced him to swallow his words.

Usagi sighed in defeat. "Yeah, I should before Suna-chan becomes worried. She doesn't look like one, but Suna-chan can be such a mother hen sometimes. Thanks for the ice cream Motoki-onii-san! I'll see you tomorrow!" With a final smile and wave she left the Crown Arcade.

"Okay Mamoru, Usagi's gone. You really didn't have to push her buttons." Motoki chided.

"She's the one who started it after I agreed the first time!"

"Yeah, but you didn't have to provoke her." Seeing the mature Chiba, Mamoru pout like a sullen child made Motoki laugh outright. Grumbling under his breath, Mamoru ordered his fourth cup of coffee. He broke the contemplative silence after taking a long sip from the dark steaming liquid, "Who's this Suna-chan anyways?"

Motoki looked up from wiping down the counter and raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Why are you asking me when you could have asked Usagi?"

Mamoru scoffed at the notion. "As if Odango Atama would have given me a straight answer."

"You're right about that. She'd probably call you a stalker." Motoki chuckled at the thought. "But to answer your question, Suna-chan is Usagi's only family."

"Family, huh? I'd hate to be the one who has to live with the Odango Atama day in and day out. So is this Suna-chan an older sister?"

Motoki hesitated for a brief moment, unsure of how to word his thoughts. "Err, no, not exactly. Usagi's family life is pretty complex. Basically Suna-chan is her guardian."

His interest was peaked by that statement, "Guardian? What do you mean by that, Motoki?"

The sandy blond was becoming uncomfortable from all the questions the other male was asking him. Motoki viewed the young teenaged girl like a little sister and he didn't want to reveal too much when it was her story to tell. "If you're really that curious you can always ask Usagi herself. It's really not my place to say."

He was deflated at the thought of having to ask the blonde spitfire after Motoki wouldn't fork over anymore information. He then had to ask himself why he was so interested in the Odango Atama in the first place.

"Oh. Well have you ever seen Suna-chan?"

"Personally, no, but Usagi mentions her from time to time."

"You've never seen her? Not even once?" Mamoru was filled with skepticism about this Suna-chan.

"Once again, no. What's your point?"

"Just think about this for a minute, Motoki. We all know that Odango Atama has a few screws loose, she may even be missing some,"

"Only in your opinion." Motoki mumbled. Ignoring that comment, Mamoru continued on, "You say she talks about Suna-chan, but no one has ever seen her once."

"Actually I said that _I've_ never seen her once." He was ignored again.

"Do you know what this sounds like?" Not even bothering to wait for the emerald eyed, sandy blond's response, Mamoru plowed on, "It sounds like the whole thing's made up!"

"Made up? Mamoru, what are you saying?" Motoki exclaimed.

"Yeah, you know like an imaginary friend or something like that."

Gaping at the dark haired teen in front of him, Motoki was shocked that Mamoru could say such a thing. If the conversation wasn't so serious, Motoki would have burst out laughing, but he didn't. The look of absolute conviction spread across the handsome teen's features. He could see that his best friend truly believed his own reasoning from his convoluted logic.

Motoki merely shook his head at the absurdness of it all. "Mamoru, my good friend, maybe it's time you lay off on the coffee and go home to get some sleep. You're beginning to talk crazy."

"Motoki, you don't see it now, but you will eventually. And you're right, it's time for me to head home now to study for some upcoming tests." Draining the last gulp of coffee, Mamoru took his leave.

Motoki stared at the retreating back of the ebony haired teen. '_Imaginary indeed. Mamoru, for someone so smart you sure like to come up with the most bizarre ideas.' _He shook his head once more to get the ridiculous thoughts of imaginary friends out of his mind before going back to work.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.  
**

**A/N:** Happy new year, I'm back! It's been a while and I wanted to thank everyone who has reviewed/faved/followed this story! If you're curious as to why I take forever in updating then please check out my profile. I usually update it every month or two so readers can track my progress. I also started a spinoff called **Clockwork Oneshots** so feel free to check that out.

Now to answer the two main questions that everyone has been asking me about.

Q: Is Suna-chan real?  
A: Yes, Suna-chan is real. I've mentioned her several times in previous chapters since she's Setsuna and Usagi calls her Suna-chan as a nickname.

Q: Who is Ninth? Is she Luna?  
A: I can't tell you who Ninth is without revealing too much, but all I can say right now is no**.** Ninth is **not** Luna. If everything goes according to plan then Luna will be making her debut quite soon.

If you have anymore questions go ahead and ask and I'll answer them to the best of my ability. Please enjoy this installment and remember to review!

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Stepping into the front entrance and shutting the door, Usagi slipped out of her black mary janes while calling out, "I'm home! Suna-chan are you here?" Receiving no reply, Usagi called out once more. When there was still no response, she suspected Suna-chan had gone out.

Walking into the kitchen she glanced up at the wall clock and noticed that it read a quarter to seven. Shocked that it was already this late, Usagi hurried around the kitchen to prepare dinner. As she approached the fridge she noted that there was a message addressed to her being held up by a bunny magnet. Taking it down the blonde read it over.

_Usagi,_

_I know this is sudden, but I'll be away for a few days on business. Dinner is made and in the fridge. All you have to do is heat it up. I've left some money on the counter for groceries. Take care and don't neglect your studies while I'm gone! I'll see you in a few._

_Love, _

_Setsuna_

Placing the note down next to the small wad of bills, Usagi counted that there was about $100 for food. Next she opened the fridge and sure enough there was a bowl of pasta waiting for her. Taking the bowl out and lifting the saran wrap covering off, she scooped out half of the bowl's contents and put the leftovers back into the fridge.

Too lazy to heat it up, Usagi decided that the pasta tasted just as good whether it was warm or cold. She meandered into the living room and plopped herself down in front of the coffee table while turning on the television. She flipped through the channels until she found a comedy she was satisfied with. Letting the sounds of the comedy drown out the silence of the vast house, Usagi released a deep sigh. The house always seemed bigger, colder, and much lonelier when Suna-chan had to leave for business, but Usagi understood. After all Suna-chan was a freelance designer who owned her own website called Millennium Designs. Sometimes she would design her own pieces and then sell or donate them to charity, but more often than not potential employers would look through her website and if they liked Suna-chan's designs then a contract would be formed for a short period of time. It's a small website, but still quite successful.

Barely paying attention to the show that was on, Usagi took another bite of her dinner as her thoughts ran free. '_Mmm, Suna-chan is really getting better at cooking. If only my cooking could taste this good.' _It wasn't like Usagi was a terrible cook per se. It was only during times when she tried cooking alone that her dishes turned into something from a horror show, but if she had someone with her guiding her along then at least it would turn out semi-decent. It would still look like a shapeless something but still edible.

Usagi's eyes glazed over as her mind traveled back to the day Suna-chan tried cooking for her for the very first time. It was the day after she had been brought home from the orphanage.

Suna-chan had wanted to celebrate Usagi's first day at home by making her a home cooked dinner. Sadly because of Setsuna's limited cooking skills she was only able to make a simple dish of fried rice. When it came time to chow down, the first bite they took of the carefully made dinner nearly made them spit it back out and brush off their tongues. That was how bad it had tasted.

After Setsuna apologized profusely for the terrible tasting meal, she had admitted that she didn't know how to cook and that was the first time she had ever attempted to make a meal for someone. Usagi had forgiven her with a laugh and insisted that they finish their dinner because it was something Setsuna had worked so hard on just for her.

Unable to refuse, the two females choked down the fried rice, every swallow brought forth a gag or cringe. By the end of the night, she and her guardian were nursing a sour stomach that lasted well into the next morning. Thankfully this had prompted Suna-chan to learn how to cook and had gradually improved, even still during the beginning when her dishes would fail they would laugh and still eat it; bearing through it with smiles on their faces together.

Even though the fried rice wasn't the most appetizing meal Usagi had ever eaten, she wouldn't have traded it for anything in the world because it had made her first night at home all the more memorable.

Delving even further into her mind, the drone of the TV faded into the distance as another memory floated to the surface.

"_Pwease?" Toddler Usagi begged. Fistfuls of a cream colored skirt were in her tiny grasp as she stared up at the woman before her with the most pitiful expression. Somehow Usagi had managed to make her cerulean eyes look twice as large and her bottom lip jutted out in a pout._

_The woman stared down at the little blonde that was giving her the most adorable puppy dog look. In all the child-parenting books she had read, she knew that she had to remain firm and not cave into the demands of the child, no matter how cute she looked with those big blue eyes gazing up at her that were slowly filling with tears. Wait; tears?_

'_Oh no. This is not good. Not good at all.' The woman thought. She could handle the regular puppy dog look of wide eyes and small pout, but once the tears formed it made her eyes glisten like sparkly sapphires and doubled the cuteness factor._

'_Where, oh where, did this little girl learn such a darling face?!_'_ She wailed in her mind. She could feel the wall of her resolve slowly crumble around her. Thirty seconds went by with neither person moving. Woman and child were caught in a battle of wills and it was only a matter of time before one of them would be declared victorious. When she caught sight of the tears threatening to fall, Usagi released a quiet whimper at the same time that resembled a young animal seeking for love. At that moment the woman felt the rest of her resolve shatter into thousands of tiny pieces and knew she had lost._

_Her shoulders slumped and heaving a sigh of defeat, the woman reached behind her to grab the object the child had been relentlessly begging for. "Alright, Usagi, but just this one, okay?" Even though she had given in, the woman did her best to remain stern._

_The tears magically disappeared and joy lit up the young girl's face as she reached for the shortbread cookie and held it with both hands like a prized possession._

"_Wah!" looking back up at the woman, Usagi replied, "'Uv's you, mama!"_

_The cuteness meter having reached its max, Ikuko bent down to Usagi's level, wrapped her arms around her baby girl, and placed a kiss on her chubby cheek as Usagi giggled in delight._

Usagi slowly came out of the pleasant memory as it faded from her mind. She couldn't remember much of the childhood she had before meeting Suna-chan; only bits and pieces and even then they were never clear. All she could remember from that memory was a woman with wavy blue hair and hugs and kisses. Those memories always brought forth a surge of warmth, but at the same time a painful reminder of what was lost.

Smacking her cheeks with both of her hands, Usagi shook her head from side to side to rid her mind of those depressing thoughts.

"Snap out of it, Usagi. You shouldn't think like that. I have Suna-chan with me so I'm not alone anymore." After giving herself a pep talk to lift up her mood, she quietly went back to eating dinner.

Usagi had just finished putting away the clean dishes when a distinctive beeping caught her attention. Knowing exactly what that sound meant, she dove towards her school bag to fish out the pink communicator. Flipping it open, Usagi pressed on the flashing button to answer the call. The mirror was soon replaced by a screen showing a shadowed outline of a woman.

"There's a Youma attack at the park. Get here as soon as you can." Came the whispered response of Ninth.

"Got it." The screen disappeared signifying the end of the communication and had turned back to being a mirror. Usagi snapped the compact closed and wasted no time in transforming then heading towards another battle.

* * *

Sailor Moon arrived at Juuban Park. She hid behind a bush that was a distance away from the Youma and observed the scene before her. There were unconscious bodies littering the ground from having their energy stolen by wearing wristbands from the Dark Kingdom. She had heard about these wristbands from a few classmates. Apparently they were the new 'must haves' since not only are they fashionable, but it also measures your calorie intake and acts like a pedometer. It was a great accessory for people who are looking to have a healthier lifestyle.

For Sailor Moon, the gadget held little appeal to her since she got all the exercise she needed from her five minute sprint to school and she always forgot her breakfast and lunch. Not to mention she was always fighting a Youma basically once a day; what a workout that is!

Just like all the other Dark Kingdom servants Sailor Moon fought, this one shared the same features like the one that posed as Naru's mother. It was hard on the eyes and genderless, but judging by the clothes it wore; it looked as if it been posing as a man based on the now baggy muscle shirt and shorts.

The Youma was now gloating about the stolen energy to the unconscious victims. Unable to listen to its arrogance anymore, Sailor Moon unveiled herself from her hiding spot and dashed behind the Youma; aiming a flying kick to its back.

Her booted foot connected squarely on the middle of its back with enough force to send the Youma flying face first towards the ground and skid about two meters on the rough asphalt.

"Tricking innocent people into believing they're losing weight when instead they're losing energy is unforgivable! In the name of the Moon, I shall punish you!" Sailor Moon struck a pose and winced internally at her speech. '_Geez, did I really just say that? Maybe I'll skip the speech and go right into Youma dusting next time.'_

The Youma craned its neck backwards to see who had the gall to attack someone giving themselves a congratulatory pat on the back and saw a dolled up girl playing superhero.

'_This must be the famous Sailor Moon that's been giving Lord Jadeite trouble.'_ The Youma picked itself up from the ground and its vermillion eyes narrowed in thought, '_If I can get rid of her for good, I can only imagine the praise I'll receive from my lord!_' A sick grin showcasing rows of jagged teeth split across its face.

A chill crawled down Sailor Moon's spine when she caught the Youma's eyes slowly roaming up and down her body and she visibly shuddered when the grin formed on its ghoulish face. Then faster than she could blink the Youma was in front of her swinging its grey arm and backhanding her to the nearest tree.

Her back collided with the rough bark of the tree trunk. Green leaves gently floated down after being shaken loose from their branches by the impact. Sailor Moon gingerly touched her cheek and hissed lowly at the sting. She could already feel it start to swell; it would most likely leave a nasty bruise behind by the end of the night.

The blonde heroine wiped away the spittle from her mouth with the back of her hand; staining the once pristine glove with a smear of red.

"Be careful of this one, Sailor Moon." The low voice of Ninth cautioned her from behind. "It's faster than all the other Youma's you've faced so far which makes its attacks seem like they're coming from no where."

Nodding to show that she had been listening to Ninth, Sailor Moon pushed herself off of the tree. Before she was able to properly prepare herself, the Youma came at her with lightning speed. She dodged in the nick of time and the noise of wood splintering sounded next to her. The Youma's arm was embedded in the tough wood up to its elbow in the exact spot Sailor Moon's head had just occupied. If she hadn't moved at that moment then her head would've been crushed like a watermelon on a hot summer's day.

She paled considerably at that thought and scrambled to put some distance between them. Soon enough the Youma was laying its attacks back on her.

It was fast, too fast for her mind to comprehend and the longer the battle wore on the more her mind was descending into panic. The skirt on her sailor fuku was ripped and tattered, blood was oozing out of the various cuts she had received, bruises of all sizes peppered along her body, and blood, grime, and sweat were plastered against her. The odds were against the blonde for she was losing the fight. She had maybe managed to land four hits on the enemy in total while the number she had received were too many to count.

Sailor Moon was trying to clear her foggy mind from the recent blow to the head that she never saw the Youma appear at her side. It grabbed her elbow and swung her off her feet towards the park bench, nearly ripping her arm out of its socket in the process. Her lower back hit the back of the bench, flipping her body over leading with her head connecting with the bench seat and then stopping on the ground. The Youma was at her side instantly, kicking her several feet away.

She landed roughly on her side having the breath knocked out of her. Her lungs burned with every wheezing gasp she took, her chest ached and there was a harsh pounding behind her eyes. '_I… I can't do this anymore. I'm not going to win.'_

"Get up, Sailor Moon." Ninth implored.

"I can't. The Youma is too fast for me to see! I can barely keep up with it! I… I don't think I'll be able to win this one…" Sailor Moon voiced her thoughts out loud.

"You can and you will! You're Sailor Moon, Champion of justice! Your light will defeat the darkness!"

Frustrated tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes as Sailor Moon screamed at her companion as much as she was able to in desperation, "Just _look_ at me, Ninth! I've barely scratched the Youma while it's managed to do _this_ to me! I'm not strong enough; I'm too weak to defeat it!"

The Youma, overhearing Sailor Moon's screaming, had taken her words as a sign of defeat and began to gloat about its pending victory, "Nyahahaha! That's right, Sailor Brat, you won't win and when I finish you off, I'm going to serve your stupid blonde head on a silver platter to my Lord Jadeite! Hahaha!"

Sailor Moon closed her eyes in despair as its words washed over her. '_Oh, God! It's right, I can't do this! I can't, I can't, I can't!'_

"Sailor Moon, open your eyes and look at me."

Her cerulean orbs snapped open instantly and focused in the general direction of Ninth's voice.

The gentleness which she had used in her encouragement bled out of Ninth's voice and was replaced with a harsh, almost biting tone, "Yes, you are weak. You were weak the moment the Youma demonstrated its strength in the first strike and you are weak now with your complaints."

The young blonde felt like she was being slapped with every word she listened to. More tears slid down her cheeks as she lay on the ground without making a sound.

"Instead of concentrating on the battle ahead you're letting your panic rule your thoughts! And because of that you have already accepted your defeat before the fight is even over. Breathe; cleanse your mind of the negative thoughts and observe its footwork. With a cleared mind the path to victory will be shown to you. Now get up! You _can _defeat the enemy!"

With startling clarity the blonde realized that her hidden companion was right. She had been letting her panic determine her actions all along. She carefully stood up on trembling legs and nearly doubled over, cradling the area where the Youma had kicked her in the side. There were definitely some cracked ribs as sharp bolts of pain raced along her body.

Despite the agony she was in, Sailor Moon did as Ninth had suggested, she ignored the pain and breathed in deeply, cleansing her mind. When she exhaled, all the doubts and panic went along with it.

"You better say your prayers, Sailor Moon because by the time I'm done with you, you'll be begging me to end your life!" The Youma sneered.

Sailor Moon ignored the Youma's jeering and took a couple more deep breaths. She stood there unmoving just quietly observing her target with a calmness her body and mind had fallen into.

Irked that Sailor Moon wasn't responding to its taunts, the Youma launched itself at her. Just before it was able to hit her, Sailor Moon dodged the attack by pivoting on her heel and swinging her other leg out to land a hit on the Youma's side. Three rapid strikes to the chest followed in succession before she stomped on its foot then drove her knee into its stomach. She backed away quickly to regain her breath.

The Youma was left doubled over gagging and coughing at the surprisingly strong attacks, but recovered quickly. It spat out a wad of green phlegm and went after her once more.

Taking Ninth's advice to heart, Sailor Moon tracked the Youma's movements by watching its footwork. She saw its body tense and its feet slightly shift in the direction it would come at her. She would then counter it by moving in the opposite direction.

Heroine and enemy had been doing the dodge-and-hit dance for quite some time with no results on either side. The Youma was becoming increasingly frustrated that it wasn't winning and redoubled the speed of its strikes.

Sailor Moon was reaching her breaking point the longer this went on. Her movements were getting more sluggish, her steps heavier, and she was having difficulty countering the attacks. She needed the Youma to stay down long enough to charge her tiara, but it looked like the Youma wouldn't be letting up on its attacks any time soon. She was caught off guard at one particular fast strike that she tripped over her own feet trying to dodge it and landed on her damaged ribs.

A cry of agony tore up her raw throat and out of her mouth. Tears of pain gathered in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall; refused to show this monster anymore of her weakness.

The Youma stalked closer to Sailor Moon's fallen form and growled out, "It's about damn time! You're more trouble than you're worth and I'm going to enjoy ending your pitiful existence."

Ninth, who had been watching everything from the trees, knew that Sailor Moon was exhausted and wouldn't be able to defend herself for much longer. Her charge had been pushed beyond her limits and couldn't fight anymore. She was about to intervene when a flash of red flew between the Youma and Sailor Moon and struck the ground. It was a rose. A beautiful red rose in full bloom with a long dark green stem that was strong enough to pierce the hard pavement like it was butter.

"To strike a lady and then have the audacity to gloat about it is inexcusable. You, sir, are the lowest scum on this Earth to do such an act."

All eyes pinpointed to the dark figure garbed in a black and white tuxedo balancing perfectly on top a lamp post. Silence ensued as each person took advantage of the lull in battle to contemplate the newcomer.

Ninth had stepped back into the shadows. At first she had thought the rose had belonged to another senshi, but the person who had thrown it was clearly a man. Who he was and which side he belonged to was unclear. His actions and speech suggested that he was an ally; however, it could all be a ruse to lure them into a false sense of security. '_It is never wise to assume the actions of the Dark Kingdom.'_ Ninth mused. For now she'll continue with her silent vigil. After all it wasn't time for her to reveal herself just yet.

Sailor Moon was awestruck at the man over top them. The way the moon's light bathed him in its white glow softened the sharp angles of his facial features. She wondered if his eyes were as captivating as the rest of him, but couldn't tell because of the white eye mask he wore. His crisp tuxedo jacket defined his broad shoulders and he wore a pair of white gloves that looked quite soft to the touch. Glancing down he had a pair of very long legs with well polished black dress shoes on his feet. The bottom of his red lined cape fluttered softly to the side by the cool evening breeze. Overall he looked like a well bred gentleman ready to sweep a lady off her feet. He even wore a top hat to complete the look!

The Youma was resentful that the newcomer interrupted its moment before the kill. It didn't dwell on it for too long before facing the tuxedo clad man and hissing, "Who the hell are you?!"

"I don't need to introduce myself to the likes of you. Just know that I'm here to help stop you."

"Grr, so that's how it's going to be. Fine! Bring it on, Pretty Boy!" Deducing that Sailor Moon wouldn't be going anywhere any time soon, the Youma changed targets and rushed the mysterious man. It tried to claw at the man's leg, but he jumped away at the last second towards the ground. As soon as his feet touched ground he had to roll away from the Youma's incoming strike. He popped back onto his feet and whipped out a black cane seemingly out of thin air. The man swung his weapon and struck the Youma across its face. There was a sickening crunch of bone breaking, the Youma clutching its broken cheekbone and screeching in pain. The man didn't hesitate to take advantage of the Youma's distraction to attack again.

Sailor Moon watched in awe as she slowly struggled to her feet. She couldn't take her eyes off of him. It was quite obvious that the man was winning. He was stronger and all of his attacks were swift and precise. This man managed to do what she couldn't in a matter of minutes. It almost made her envious. Almost. She took this chance to charge her tiara, waiting for the right opportunity to throw it.

It was becoming clear that the Youma was being overwhelmed by the newcomer. It could scarcely believe that it was losing and to some pretty boy who looked like he came straight out of a shoujo manga no less! The Youma became blind with rage at that thought; its attacks were wilder and much clumsier.

The Youma misjudged the speed of its opponent because during mid-attack the man quickly reached inside his tuxedo jacket and withdrew another rose, flinging the flower at the Youma's outstretched hand. The rose flew with frightening speed and impaled the front of its hand. The stem went cleanly through with the bottom of the rose touching its palm.

A terrible wail rent through the air. Dark green, almost black, blood sluggishly trailed down the rose stem to drip on the ground in a rhythm all of its own.

Spotting her chance, Sailor Moon began her attack.

"Moon…" She wound her arm back, "Tiara…" Then flung her arm out, "Action!" And released the glowing disc with a flick of her wrist, carving a golden path through the air towards its target.

The Youma barely had time to move, let alone look up, before the tiara cut right through and it became instant dust. The magical accessory returned to its owner and she slid it back onto her forehead.

All was quiet. A gentle breeze swept by, blowing away the rest of what used to be the Youma. The harsh panting of the bruised and battered warrior was the only sound that could be heard through the silence that had descended upon them.

"Good work, Sailor Moon. You should get some rest and probably let someone take a look at you injuries." The man's deep baritone suggested. The noise of his rustling cape and the crunch of gravel indicated that he was about to leave stirred Sailor Moon into action.

"W-wait! Please don't leave just yet!" She pleaded to his retreating back.

Her masked savior stopped in his tracks and shifted so he was somewhat facing her. Now that she had gained his attention she was suddenly feeling jittery. Her heart was hammering in her breast, her mind blank, and she was having trouble producing enough saliva to wet her tongue.

"Um, I just wanted to say thank you. For helping me back there. I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't shown up just then. So thank you for saving me."

He dipped his head in acceptance of her thanks. Noticing that he hadn't moved to leave yet, Sailor Moon summoned her courage to ask the question she had been burning to know the answer to since laying her eyes on him, "And-and you obviously know who I am so could you tell me who you are? Since it's only fair after all." She added the last part in quickly.

He hesitated a brief moment before answering, "My name… is Tuxedo Kamen. We should depart before these people wake up." He gave her a small smirk. "Until we meet again, Sailor Moon." He turned around and leapt high in the sky. She kept her eyes on him until his form became lost within the surrounding trees.

"Tuxedo Kamen." She tested his name out loud. '_It suits him. He's like a knight saving the damsel in distress in those fairy tales.' _She blushed at the thought and committed the name to memory.

The unconscious people were beginning to come to signaling it was time for the blonde superhero to make her exit. Ninth stayed behind to review the events leading up to their victory. She was particularly interested at the arrival of the masked man.

'_Tuxedo Kamen, hmm? Is he friend or foe? I'll need to keep an eye on him. But for now…'_ Ninth stuck close to the shadows following the same direction her charge went. She hadn't looked well when she left and Ninth wanted to make sure she made it home in one piece. She had full confidence that the blonde could take care of herself, but she had the penchants of klutzing at the worst possible moments. And so, Ninth trailed after her. Just in case.


	14. AN and Teasers

I hate to be one of those authors but I've thought a lot about this and have come to a decision. Sadly, Fragmented Destiny will be put on an indefinite hiatus. When I stepped into writing for this fandom over 2 years ago, I was going through a hard time with school and family and I used writing as an excuse to escape reality even if it was just for a little bit. It's unfortunate, but I've steadily lost interest in the SM universe. I will always be thankful for this story because it was my very first ever written fanfic and it gave me the courage to post my other works. Perhaps one day I will pick it up again, but for now it's time to put it to sleep.

Since FF. net doesn't allow stand alone AN's, here are some teasers that may or may not happen in the future.

* * *

_"Serenity. My beloved, Serenity." His voice drifted through her ears like a gentle lover's caress._

_"Endymion? Is that you? Where are you?" Her head turned round and round, eyes searching through the darkness filled with gray fog for her desired target._

_"I'm close by, my love. So very close." Another whisper swept next to her ear. She swiveled her head in that direction, but found no one._

_"Where? Why can't I find you?"_

_"I'm right here, Serenity, just open your eyes." His words were so close that his breath ghosted against her cheek, warming her chilled skin._

_"My eyes are open, but I still cannot find you!" Her eyes truly were open, but he was no where to been seen. Everywhere she turned she found nothing but swirling shadows and twisting fog. Desperation clawed up from the pit of her stomach and settled at the base of her throat forming a lump there._

_"Not yet they are not. Open them and you will see exactly where I am; where I have always been." A brief touch of his cool fingers trailed away from her cheek left what felt like a scorching heat behind. Suddenly the world around her began to shake. The ground began to split and crack and soon enough pieces started to break apart falling into another dark abyss. In the distance she could see him. He turned his back to her as his back cape fluttered in the non existent wind. Her arm reached out and the moment she took a step towards him, the ground underneath her gave away and she found herself falling further and further into the darkness._

_"Endymion, wait!," she screamed at his retreating back, "I don't understand! Endymion! Endy-"_

"-Mion!" Usagi woke up with a start. Someone was shaking her and saying something that she couldn't make out and as she opened her eyes to look at who was accosting her being, all she saw was a blurry image of midnight blue eyes and ebony hair.

She reached up to touch his warm cheek, "Endymion?"

* * *

"Who are you?" Sailor Mars demanded.

The stranger straightened her back and spoke with a confidence that commanded everyone's attention, "I am the person that you all have been searching for."

"You mean you're...?" Sailor Mercury trailed off unsure if she should voice the question they were all thinking.

"Yes, please allow me to introduce myself. I am mostly known as Sailor Venus, the senshi of love and beauty, but beneath that I am also Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom."

"How can we believe that you're the princess?" Sailor Jupiter cracked her knuckles. None of them have yet to remember their past lives to have an accurate memory of their mysterious princess so anyone could come to claim to be her.

With a brush of her hand, Sailor Venus swept her bangs up to reveal a golden crescent moon on the center of her forehead.

"Only a member of the royal family has the mark of a crescent moon upon their forehead." Luna quietly confirmed. Everyone was stunned into silence at that admission. After so long their search was finally over. For the first time in a thousand years the team was whole again. Sailor Moon should have been overjoyed, in fact she was, but when her eyes met Venus' for the briefest of seconds the deepest part of her mind whispered '_Lies'_ over and over again.

* * *

Usagi's communicator chirped. Flipping it open the shadowed outline of Ninth flashed on screen. "Did you see that? I didn't think Beryl would start sending UFO's after us."

"No, this isn't the work of the Dark Kingdom. This is something else, something much more powerful. I fear a new enemy has arrived."

Usagi's breath caught in her throat as dread washed over her. They weren't prepared for this. Not even in the slightest.

* * *

"And why should I help you?" Beryl sneered at the floating cloaked man. His mottled hands perpetually hovered about the crystal ball in front of him.

"Because we both have similar goals. The Sailor Senshi have thwarted our plans at every turn. If we were to combine our forces it would make us unstoppable, wouldn't you agree?"

"The Dark Kingdom doesn't need to rely on some _outside_ help," she spat back.

"Ah, but I believe you do. I have witnessed that your generals have had less than successful attempts at destroying the senshi."

"Yes, they have been less than… competent," Beryl grit her teeth at the admission, "But your people aren't faring as well either. So tell me. How does joining forces benefit us both?"

The cloaked being chuckled lowly, "Imagine this if you will, Queen Beryl, the senshi are completely eliminated and you will rule over the citizens of Earth. There would be nothing stopping you from covering the world in darkness and mayhem however you see fit."

"It seems like it would only be advantageous for me. What's in it for you?"

"I have traveled across time and space to come here to this present. The future that I have seen and lived through is not the one that I desire. I merely want to create a future that is prosperous for those that wish for it."

"You want to change the future?"

"Yes, and with your help I believe it will be a success."


End file.
